E/5248 E/CN.7/555
COMMISION ON NARCOTIC DRUGS REPORT OF THE TWENTY-FIFTH SESSION 22 January—9 February 1973
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL OFFICIAL RECORDS: FIFTY-FOURTH SESSION
SUPPLEMENT No. 3
UNITED NATIONS E/5248 E/CN.7/555
COMMISSION ON NARCOTIC DRUGS
REPORT OF THE TWENTY-FIFTH SESSION
22 January —9 February 1973
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL OFFICIAL RECORDS: FIFTY-FOURTH SESSION
SUPPLEMENT No. 3
UNITED NATIONS New York, 1973 NOTE Symbols of United Nations documents are composed of capital letters combined with figures. Mention of such a symbol indicates a reference to a United Nations document.
E/5248 E/CN.7/555 CONTENTS
Chapter Paragraphs Page INTRODUCTION 1-11 1-3
I. ORGANIZATIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS 12-30 5-9 Membership of the Commission 13 5 Representation at the session 14-22 5-7 Election of officers 23-24 7 Adoption of the agenda 25 8 Report of the Commission to the Economic and Social Council on its twenty-fifth session 26 8-9 Request for a special session 27 9 Organisation of the next session of the Commission 28-29 9 Place of meeting of the next session 30 9
II. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NARCOTICS TREATIES AND INTERNATIONAL CONTROL 31 - 233 11 - 63 Report of the Division of Narcotic Drugs 31-32 11 Resolutions of the General Assembly 33-34 11-12 Resolutions and decisions of the Economic and Social Council 35-36 13 - 15 Work of international and non-governmental organizations 37 - 59 15-19 Extension of control to new substances in accordance with the international treaties on narcotic drugs . 60-82 19 - 24 Signatures, ratifications, accessions and successions concerning the multilateral treaties on narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances .... 83 - 101 25 - 31 National laws and regulations communicated under the international treaties on narcotic drugs 102 - 104 31 - 32 Annual reports of Governments 105 - 114 32 - 34 List of drugs under international control 115 - 118 34 - 35 List of national authorities empowered to issue certificates and authorizations for import and export of narcotic drugs . 119 - 120 35 List of establishments authorized to manufacture narcotic drugs 121 35
- iii - Chapter Paragraphs Page Reports of the International Narcotics Control Board and administrative arrangements to ensure the full technical independence of the Board 122 - 160 36 - 48 Work of the World Health Organization in the field of drug dependence 161 - 198 48 - 56 Preparations for the coming into force of the
Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 .... 199 - 233 56 - 63
III. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH 234 - 269 65 - 70
IV. PUBLICATIONS OF THE DIVISION OF NARCOTIC DRUGS 270 - 281 71 - 73 Bulletin on Narcotics 270-275 71-73 Information Letter 276 - 281. 73 V. TECHNICAL CO-OPERATION IN NARCOTICS CONTROL 282 - 293 75 - 76
VI. OPERATIONS UNDERTAKEN BY THE DIVISION AND
FINANCED BY THE FUND FOR DRUG ABUSE CONTROL 294 - 310 77 - 81
VII. UNITED NATIONS FUND FOR DRUG ABUSE CONTROL 311 - 331 83 - 87
VIII. ILLICIT TRAFFIC 332 - 502 89 - 127 Introduction 332 - 334 89 - 90 Illicit traffic in 1970 335-373 90-95 Illicit traffic in 1971 374-375 95-101 Illicit traffic in 1972 376 - 407 102-107 Preventive measures 408 - 438 107 - 112 The Ad Hoc Committee on Illicit Traffic in the Near and Middle East 439-471 112-118 Summary of conclusions 472 - 478 118 - 119 Regional co-operation 479-502 320 - 127 IX. ABUSE OF DRUGS (DRUG ADDICTION) 503 - 591 129 - 145 Introduction 503-504 129 World situation in 1970 505-539 129-133 Recent developments 540 - 569 133 - 141 Features of drug abuse 570 - 591 141 - 145
- iv - Chapter Paragraphs Page
X. PROGRAMME OF WORK AND PRIORITIES 592 - 619 147 - 154
XI. LIST OP RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE COMMISSION 155
XII. DRAFT RESOLUTIONS RECOMMENDED BY THE COMMISSION FOR ACTION BY THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL 157 - 160 ANNEXES
Page I. Table showing the membership of the Commission as at 1 January 1973 and the dates of expiry of terms of office 161 - 162 II. List of representatives and observers at the twenty-fifth session of the Commission 163 - 170 III. Statement by Mr. C.W.A. Schurmann, Personal Representative of the Secretary-General in charge of the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control 171 - 175 IV. Statement by Mr. V. Winspeare Guicciardi, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs at its twenty-fifth session 177 - 181 V. List of documents relevant to the report of the Commission 183 - 187
- v - ABBREVIATIONS
The following abbreviations are used throughout the text:
Abbreviation Full title
CCC ... Customs Co-operation Council
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations
ICPO/INTERPOL International Criminal Police Organization
ILO International Labour Organisation
INCB . International Narcotics Control Board
LAS League of Arab States
UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UNDP ... United Nations Development Programme
UNDP (TA) United Nations Development Programme (Technical Assistance)
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization
UNFDAC United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control
UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund
UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization UNSDRI United Nations Social Defence Research
Institute
WFP World Food Programme
WHO World Health Organization 1925 Convention International Opium Convention signed at Geneva on 19 February 1925, as amended by the Protocol signed at Lake Success, New York, on 11 December 1946.
- vi - Abbreviation Full title
1931 Convention International Convention for limiting the manufacture and regulating the distribution of narcotic drugs, signed at Geneva on 13 July 1931, as amended by the Protocol signed at Lake Success, New York, on 11 December 1946.
1936 Convention Convention of 1936 for the suppression of the illicit traffic in dangerous drugs, signed at Geneva on 26 June 1936, as amended by the Protocol signed at Lake Success, New York, on 11 December 1946.
1946 Protocol Protocol of 1946 amending the Agreements, Conventions and Protocols on Narcotic Drugs concluded at The Hague on 23 January 1912, at Geneva on 11 February 1925 and 19 February 1925 and 13 July 1931, at Bangkok on 27 November 1931 and at Geneva on 26 June 1936, signed at Lake Success, New York, on 11 December 1946.
1948 Protocol Protocol signed at Paris on 19 November 1948, bringing under international control drugs outside the scope of the Convention of 13 July 1931 for limiting the manufacture and regulating the distribution of narcotic drugs, as amended by the Protocol signed at Lake Success, New York, on 11 December 1946.
1953 Protocol Protocol for limiting and regulating the cultivation of the poppy plant, the production of, international and wholesale trade in, and use of opium, signed at New York on 23 June 1953.
1961 Convention Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 196l, signed at New York on 30 March 1961.
1971 Convention Convention on Psychotropic Substances signed at Vienna on 21 February 1971.
1972 Protocol Protocol Amending the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, signed at Geneva on 25 March 1972.
- vii - Previous reports of the Commission on Narcotic Drags to the Economic and Social Council are referred to as "Report, ... session". These reports have all been published as supplements to the Official Records of the Economic and Social Council and may he identified as follows:
Twentieth session ibid., Fortieth Session, Supplement No. 2 (E/4140 - E/CN.7/488)
Twenty-first session ibid., Forty-second Session, Supplement No.2 (E/4294-E/CN. 7/501)
Twenty-second session ibid., Forty-fourth Session, Supplement No.2 (E/4455 - E/CN.7/512)
Twenty-third session ibid., Forty-sixth Session (No Supplement No.) (E/4606/Sev.1 -E/CN.7/523/Rev.1)
Second Special Session ibid., Resumed Forty-ninth Session, Supplement No.12 (E/4931 - E/CN.7/552)
Twenty-fourth Session ibid., Fifty-second Session, Supplement No.2 (E/5082 - E/CN.7/5441
- viii - COMMISSION ON NARCOTIC DRUGS
Report to the Economic and Social Council on the twenty-fifth session of the Commission, held at Geneva from 22 January to 9 February 1975
INTRODUCTION
L. The Commission decided that it would be appropriate to mark its twenty-fifth session by a special introduction to its report 1/, giving the substance of the statements made by the representative of the Secretary-General in opening the session and by the Chairman on taking the Chair.
2. Mr. V. Winspeare Guicciardi, Under-Secretary-General, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, reviewed some aspects of the Commission's work and achievements during the quarter century of its existence.
3. The work of the Commission had been characterized by continuity and evolution. The continuity had been that of men and aims. Since the time of the League of Nations, there had been constant efforts to find ways and means of restricting the use of dangerous drugs to legitimate purposes. The evolution had been striking. First, the membership of the Commission had doubled and all regions of the world were now represented; secondly, the number of drugs being dealt with had multiplied many times. Those changes meant, unfortunately, that drug abuse now presented a risk to all countries. The evolution had, however, been reflected not only in the growth of the Commission, but in the increasingly comprehensive nature of its work. The participation of a number of United Nations bodies, specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations showed the multidisciplinary nature of the tasks to be accomplished. Action against drug abuse had always involved prevention, cure and law enforcement, but the thought had gradually emerged that the problem was first and foremost a social problem with, of course, an important health aspect.
4. Legislative work had occupied a large proportion of the Commission's time and efforts, starting with the Paris Protocol of 1948 for the control of synthetic narcotic drugs, followed by the Opium Protocol of 1953 and the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961. The Single Convention had proved a most useful instrument but the emergence of the abuse of psychotropic substances had prompted the Commission to draw up a new legislative instrument, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, which had been adopted in 1971. That instrument placed those substances under control but at the same time dealt with cure and law enforcement in a new manner by introducing the concepts of after-care, rehabilitation, social reintegration and education and by differentiating between the punishment of traffickers and ways of dealing with abusers. Finally, the Protocol Amending the Single Convention, 1961, which had been adopted in 1972, embodied those new concepts while at the same time strengthening the measures for limiting the production and manufacture of narcotic drugs.
1/ E/CN.7/SR.726 (Min.)
- 1 - 5. But it was felt that treaties, no matter how effective, were not sufficient. To overcome difficulties of implementation and cope with the increase in drug abuse, the Commission had drawn up the Plan for Concerted Short-Term and Long-Term Action against Drug Abuse. Then, realizing that material considerations might be an obstacle to many Governments in fulfilling the tasks imposed by drug control and that financial support was necessary to achieve the goals defined by the treaties, the Commission had recommended the setting up of a Fund for Drug Abuse Control. That recommendation had been endorsed by the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly, and the Fund had been established by the Secretary-General on 1 April 1971.
6. In assuming the enormous task of dealing with a programme encompassing scientific research as well as social measures, educational developments, treatment, training and other disciplines, the Commission had, however, contracted a new responsibility, that of co-ordination. It had to recognize the need to prevent dispersion of effort. In fulfilling that role, the Commission would find the Division of Narcotic Drugs ready to help as a "thinking point" for ensuring liaison between the different organizations acting in the field and for drafting plans of action for consideration by the Commission.
7. The Commission, composed of representatives of industrialized and of developing countries from all parts of the world and representing all groups, had invariably subordinated the abstractions of treaties to the consideration of man as a living creature in his environment. It had thus achieved a balance of thought and action which might well be an example for the solution of other social or political problems.
8. Kir. John E. Ingersoll, the newly elected Chairman of the Commission, stated that the world community had become much more aware of the dangers posed to human beings by drug abuse. The Commission's good work had spurred the United Nations to become fax more active than ever before in its drug abuse control efforts. Twenty countries had contributed to the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control and many had indicated their intention of making additional contributions each year. The Fund, under the guidance of the Secretary-General's Personal Representative, had engaged the specialized agencies in increased and meaningful action. The Convention on Psychotropic Substances and the Protocol Amending the Single Convention were valuable instruments which should be put to use without delay. The recent increase in bilateral and regional co-operation in drug control was encouraging. An Ad Hoc Committee on Illicit Traffic in the Near and Middle East had been established. The stage had. been set for increasing co-operation in control efforts in South-East Asia. On the initiative of the President of France, a number of European countries were co-ordinating their efforts to control drugs. Ten countries of South America had recently met at Buenos Aires to promote regional co-operation. There had been other momentous developments, such as the courageous decision taken by the Government of Turkey to discontinue opium production.
9. But while those steps were being taken, commendable though they were, the number of human beings affected by illicit drugs had grown at an alarming rate. All concerned must use wisdom and determination to secure further and substantial progress in drug control.
- 2 - 10. He presented several suggestions for future action in the fields ratification of the international drug treaties; tetter planning and execution of a global programme of drug abuse control increased and sustained support of the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control; improvement of bilateral and regional co-operation ; improved research, avoiding duplication and getting on with the tasks ahead; there was still much knowledge to be acquired, especially regarding the etiology of drug abuse. Modern scientific techniques offered useful tools to block the efforts of international traffickers and their use should become more widespread. Multilateral and bilateral assistance should be offered to those determined to eliminate illegal narcotics production through crop replacement programmes.
11. After examining what had been done and what could not be done, some might conclude that drug addiction was one of the insoluble problems which the world must resign itself to living with. It was his firm view, however, that the Commission must say "no" to such a conclusion. The progress made in the past pointed to the progress which would be made in the future. The Commission, through its dedication and talents, would see clearly what needed to be done and find ways to do it.
- 3 -
CHAPTER I
ORGANIZATIONAL ANd ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
12. The Commission on Narcotic Drugs met at Geneva for its twenty-fifth session from 22 January to 9 February 1973 ; 3 plenary meetings were held (722nd to 751st meetings). 2/
Membership of the Commission
13. At its fifty-third session, the Economic and Social Council elected 14 members of the Commission, eight members to fill the seats falling vacant at the end of 1972 and an additional six new members in accordance with Council resolution l663(LII), by which it had been decided to enlarge the Commission on Narcotic Drugs to 30 members. The following seven countries were chosen to serve for three years; 3/ Germany, Federal Republic of, Hungary, India, Kenya, Pakistan, Sweden and Thailand. The remaining countries, namely, Australia, Chile, Egypt, Indonesia, Mexico, Morocco and Romania were chosen to serve for one year. A table showing the membership of the Commission as of 1 January 1973 is to be found in annex I to this report.
Representation at the session
14. The following thirty States members of the Commission were represented: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Egypt, France, Germany, Federal Republic of, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Turkey, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America and Yugoslavia. A list of representatives and all other participants and observers is to be found in annex II to this report.
15. Applying the procedure adopted by the Commission at its twenty-fourth session, the Secretary-General, in consultation with the Chairman, issued invitations to thirty-nine Governments to send observers to the twenty-fifth regular session in 1972. The following Governments accepted the invitation and sent observers to participate in the proceedings of the Commissions Afghanistan, Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia,, Bulgaria, Burma, China, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Finland, Ghana, Greece, Holy See, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Kuwait, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Republic of Korea, Republic of Viet-Nam, Singapore, South Africa, Spain and Tunisia. The following Governments were also invited to send observers but no replies were received from them: Colombia, Ecuador, Israel, Jordan, Syrian Arab Republic, United Republic of Tanzania and Venezuela.
2/ E/CN.7/SR.722 to 751(Min.) 3/ Drawn by lot in accordance with paragraph 4 of the Secretary-General's note (E/L.1505)
- 5 - 16. The Governments of Chad., Cuba, Czechoslovakia and Uruguay later expressed a wish to send observers, and they did so at the invitation extended to them by the Commission at the twenty-fifth session.
17. The Commission expressed its thanks to those Governments which had sent observers for the contribution they had made to the work of the session.
18. The World Health Organization (HO), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) were among the specialized agencies which attended the session. The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) was represented at the session, as was the International Arab Narcotics Bureau of the League of Arab States (LAS) and the Customs Co-operation Council (CCC). The Personal Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control also attended the session, as did representatives of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Social Defence Research Institute (UNSDRI) and the United Nations Division of Social Affairs.
19. The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO/INTERPOL), an international organization having a special agreement with the Economic and Social Council, 4/ was represented at the session.
20. The following non-governmental organizations in consultative status, category II, also attended: the International Conference of Catholic Charities (Caritas Internationalis), the International Council on Alcohol and Addictions, the International Federation of Women Lawyers and the World Young Women's Christian Association. The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, a non governmental organization on the roster, also attended.
21. At the Commission's invitation, the Chairman of the Group of Experts on Customs Questions Affecting Transport of the Inland Transport Committee of the Economic Commission for Europe gave a detailed explanation of the Customs Convention on the International Transport of Goods under Cover of TIR Carnets (TIR Convention). 5/
22. Mr. V. Winspeare Guicciardi, Under-Secretary-General, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, opened the session and welcomed representatives and observers. 6/ He also made a statement on organizational matters concerning the
4/ See resolution 1579(L) 5/ E/CN.7/SR.733(Min.) 6/ See para. 2 above
- 6 - United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control and the Division of Narcotic Drugs. 7/ Mr. J.E. Ingersoll., the newly-elected Chairman, made a statement recalling the milestones passed by the Commission during its twenty-five years of international control. 8/ Dr. 3. Martens, Director of the Division of Narcotic Drugs, represented the Secretary-General during the session. The Secretary of the Commission was Dr. I. Bayer and the Legal Adviser was Mr. R. Eaton.
Election of officers 8/
23. The Commission elected the following officers:
Chairman: Mr. J.E. Ingersoll (United States of America) First Vice-Chairman: Mr. C. Kirca (Turkey) Second Vice-Chairman: Dr. B. Bölcs (Hungary) Rapporteur: Mr. F. Castro y Castro (Mexico) 24. The Commission set Up a steering committee and an ad hoc committee as follows:
(a) Steering committee: consisting of office-holders as vell as the representatives present who had been chairmen at previous sessions (the representatives of France, Switzerland, Togo and Yugoslavia) and the representatives of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
(b) Ad Hoc Committee on Illicit Traffic for the Far East Region: established by resolution 8 (XXV) of 7 February 1973 for the purpose of promoting more effective co-operation as well as mutual assistance to curtail illicit traffic within, from and into that region. 9/ The Committee was composed of the following countries: Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It held one brief meeting during the session, Mr. J. T. O'Connor (Australia) being elected Chairman.
7/ See para. 608 below 8/ Agenda item 1 (see E/CN.7/SR.722 (Min.)) 9/ Agenda item 5 (see E/CN.7/SR.746 (Min.))
- 7 - Adoption of the agenda 10/
25. The Commission adopted the provisional agenda 11/ drawn up by the Secretary¬ General in consultation with the Chairman of the Commission: 12/
1. Election of officers
2. Adoption of the agenda
3. Work of the United Nations, the International Narcotics Control Board, and the specialized agencies in the field of drug control;
(i) Work of the Division of Narcotic Drugs (except illicit traffic and drug abuse);
(ii) Report of the International Narcotics Control Board;
(iii) Work of the World Health Organization in the field of dependence¬ producing drugs;
(iv) Implementation of the international treaties on drug control, including any action which may have to be taken under them
4. Preparations for the coming into force of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, 1971
5. Illicit traffic
6. Abuse of drugs (drug addiction)
7. United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control
8. Programme of work and priorities
9. Report of the Commission on its twenty-fifth session.
Report of the Commission to the Economic and Social Council on its twenty-fifth session
26. At its 751st meeting the Commission unanimously adopted the present report to the Council on its twenty-fifth session, and recommended that the Council take note of this report in the following draft resolution:
10/ Agenda item 2 (see E/CN.7/SR.723(Min.)) 11/ B/CN.7/545 12/ Rule 5 of the rules of procedure of the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council (E/4767)
- 8 - Resolution 1 (XXV) : Report of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs
The Commission on Narcotic Drugs
Recommends the adoption of the following draft resolution by the Economic and Social Council:
[For this part of resolution 1 (XXV), see chapter XII, draft resolution A] 13/ Request for a special session 13/ 27. In order to carry out its functions and fulfil its responsibilities more effectively, the Commission requested the Council to authorize a special session at the beginning of 1974 (see chapter XII, draft resolution G).
Organization of the next session of the Commission
28. In accordance with the rules of procedure, 12/ the Commission decided that the Secretary-General should establish the provisional agenda for its next session in consultation with the Chairman of the Commission.
29. The Commission reaffirmed its earlier decisions that invitations to Governments to be represented by observers at the next session should be issued by the Secretary- General in consultation with the Chairman of the Commission.
Place of meeting of the next session
30. No recommendations were made under rule 3 of the rules of procedure regarding the place of meeting of the next session.
13/ See paras. 600 to 607 below
- 9 -
CHAPTER II
IMPLEMENTATION OP THE NARCOTICS TREATIES AND INTERNATIONAL CONTROL
Report of the Division of Narcotic Drugs14/
31. The Commission considered the report of the Division of Narcotic Drugs for the period 1 July 1971 to 31 August 1972 15/and the addendum to this report covering the period 1 September to 15 December 1972 16/, supplemented by more recent information received by the Secretariat.
32. Action of international organs, implementation of the international treaties on narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, scientific research, recent developments in respect of opium, cannabis and coca leaf, technical co-operation in narcotics control, operations undertaken by the Division and financed by the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control, publications of the Division, and the programme and priorities were included in the Division's report. Illicit traffic 17/, drug abuse 18/ and the preparations for the coming into force of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 19/ were dealt with separately. Resolutions of the General Assembly 33. The Commission noted with satisfaction a number of important resolutions with regard to drug abuse control adopted by the General Assembly at its twenty-sixth 20/ and twenty-seventh sessions.
34. The substance of those resolutions was as follows:
(i) Youth and dependence-producing drugs
In its resolution 2859 (XXVI) of 20 December 1971, the General Assembly urged all States to give wide support to the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control and, in particular, to involve youth in activities aimed at controlling drug abuse; requested all competent bodies of the United Nations dealing with the question of narcotic drugs to provide appropriate and effective assistance to developing countries with a view to
14/ Agenda item 3(i) (see E/CN.7/SR.723, 724, 725 and 739 (Min.)) 15/ E/CN.7/549 16/ E/CN.7/549/Md.1 17/ E/CN.7/548 and Add.1 18/ E/CN.7/546 12/ E/CN.7/547 and Add.1-4 20/ For full texts see A/8429, p.95
- 11 - enabling them to combat more effectively illicit production of and illicit traffic in narcotic drugs; appealed to all States to enact effective legislation against drug abuse, providing severe penalties for those engaged in illicit drug-trafficking; urged that steps be taken by Governments to inform in particular youth about the dangers of drug abuse, and to promote the establishment of comprehensive community-based drug treatment and rehabilitation facilities, especially for young drug users; and requested the Secretary-General, in consultation with the specialized agencies concerned, to submit a report to the Economic and Social Council at its fifty-third session on how the United Nations system can increase its effectiveness in the fight against drug abuse with special reference to the problems of youth in this respect.
(ii) Assistance in narcotics control
In its resolution 3012 (XXVII) of 18 December 1972, the General Assembly welcomed the fact that the Economic and Social Council had expressed satisfaction with the successful result of the United Nations Conference to Consider Amendments to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, particularly that a new article 14 bis had been adopted concerning technical and financial assistance to promote more effective execution of the provisions of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961; declared that, to be more effective, the measures to fight drug abuse must be co-ordinated and universal; and declared further that the fulfilment by the developing countries of their obligations under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, calls for adequate technical and financial assistance from the international community.
(iii) Narcotic drugs
In its resolution 3013 (XXVII) of 18 December 1972, the General Assembly called upon all States, provided they had not already done so, to adhere to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, the Protocol Amending the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, and the Convention on Psychotropic Substances.
(iv) United Nations programme for drug abuse control
In its resolution 3014 (XXVII) of 18 December 1972, the General Assembly welcomed the expanded operations of the United Nations programme for drug abuse control, and especially the efforts made by the Division of Narcotic Drugs of the Secretariat in the field of drug abuse control; recognized the importance of the United Nations programme of action based on short-term and long-term policy, as approved by the General Assembly in resolution 2719 (XXV) of 15 December 1970, and affirmed the need for more effective and extensive efforts by the United Nations system; appealed consequently to Governments for sustained support and voluntary contributions to the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control, in any form and according to their capacity; invited the Division of Narcotic Drugs, the specialized agencies and other interested intergovernmental organizations to co-operate fully in the United Nations programme of action; and, further invited the specialized agencies and other interested intergovernmental organizations to pay special attention, in the formulation of their own programmes relating to the socio-economic consequences of drug abuse, to appropriate means to combat this abuse.
- 12 - Resolutions and decisions of the Economic and Social Council
35. The Commission was informed that, during the period under review, the Economic and Social Council had held three sessions and one resumed session, in the course of which it had taken a series of decisions and adopted a number of resolutions relating to various aspects of drug abuse control.
36. The substance of these resolutions 21/ and decisions are as follows:
(i) Special session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, October 1972
At its fifty-first session (1799th meeting) the Council decided to consider, at its resumed fifty-first session, the proposal of the United States for the convening of a third special session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in October 1972. That question was not, however, discussed at the Council's resumed fifty-first session because the proposal had been withdrawn by its sponsors in view of the fact that the Commission's regular twenty-fifth session was scheduled to meet in January 1973, only three months after the proposed special session.
(ii) Abuse of drugs (drug addiction): the problem of khat
In its resolution 1657 (LII) of 1 June 1972, the Council, noting that khat is not covered by the schedules annexed to international convention on narcotic drugs or by the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, recommended that the World Health Organization advance the studies it has already made with regard to the analysis of the active substances in the khat leaves, their pharmacological action, their effect on users from the socio-medical aspects, and patterns of use; and invited the World Health Organization to communicate the results of its studies to the Council, through the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, as early as possible.
(iii) Preparations for the coming into force of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances; signatures, ratifications and accessions
In its resolution 1658 (LII) of 1 June 1972, the Council urged Governments which have not already done so to initiate the necessary procedures for ratifying or acceding to the treaty.
(iv) Abuse of cannabis and multiple drug abuse: need to ensure strict control and to continue medical and social research
In its resolution 1659 (LII) of 1 June 1972, the Council regretted that unfounded statements are being spread to the effect that cannabis is not a dangerous substance; recommended to Governments the application of the most severe control measures to prevent the abuse of and illicit traffic in cannabis; and invited the Secretary-General, the World Health Organization and all competent institutions to co-ordinate and promote research on cannabis and to concentrate in particular on the problem of multiple drug abuse.
21/ For full texts, see E/5183
- 13 - (V) Ad Hoc Committee on Illicit Traffic in the Hear and Middle East
In its resolution 1660 (LII) of 1 June 1972, the Council endorsed resolution 3 (XXIV) of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, entitled "Ad Hoc Committee on Illicit Traffic in the Fear and Middle East."22/
(vi) Report of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs
In its resolution 1661 (LII) of 1 June 1972, the Council took note of the report of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs on its twenty-fourth session (E/5082).
(vii) Report of the International Narcotics Control Board
In its resolution 1662 (LII) of 1 June 1972, the Council, having considered the report of the International Narcotics Control Board on its work in 1971, noted with satisfaction the mounting international concern with the problem of drug abuse which had been manifested during the past year; urged Governments to continue to co-operate to the maximum extent possible with one another, utilizing bilateral, regional, interregional and multilateral approaches with a view to eliminating illicit production, consumption and traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances; called upon States to co-operate to the maximum extent possible with the International Narcotics Control Board in taking the remedial action recommended in the report; and supported the appeal of the Board to States to improve their administrative machinery so that they may provide full and prompt information to the Board, thereby enabling it to perform effectively its functions under the relevant treaties.
(viii) Enlargement of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs
In its resolution 1663 (LII) of 1 June 1972, the Council decided to enlarge the Commission on Narcotic Drugs to 30 members, with effect from 1 January 1973, taking into account the special criteria used for election to that Commission as well as the principle of equitable geographical representation.
(ix) Concerted United Nations action against drug abuse and activities of the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control
In its resolution 1664 (LII) of 1 June 1972, the Council endorsed the work which the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control has thus far undertaken; urged States, institutions and individuals to contribute to the Fund in any form and according to their capacity; called upon the Secretary-General, in co-operation with the appropriate specialized agencies, urgently to develop detailed plans for specific Fund projects which might be undertaken during the next two to four years and for which additional funds may be solicited; and requested that a report be submitted to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs at its twenty-fifth session and to the Economic and Social Council at its fifty-fourth session detailing the progress made by the Fund in the interim period.
22/ See report, twenty-fourth session, para.369
- 14 - (x) United Nations Conference to Consider Amendments to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961
In its resolution 1665 (LII) of 1 June 1972, the Council urged States parties to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, to ratify as soon as possible the Protocol Amending the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, and those States not yet parties to the Single Convention to ratify or accede to the treaty and ratify the Protocol as soon as possible; called upon parties to the treaty to take all measures necessary to adhere to the letter and spirit of the treaty provisions, subject to the reservations recorded by them; and called upon the International Narcotics Control Board to assume its newly strengthened mandate with a sense of urgency commensurate with the intense gravity of the drug abuse problem when the Protocol amending the Single Convention enters into force.
Work of international and non-governmental organizations
37. The Commission noted that interest in the drug problem had increased considerably and had recently spread to more bodies both of other members of the United Nations family and other international and non-governmental organizations. 23/ While welcoming that increased interest and activity, the Commission underlined the need for efficient co-ordination of all those efforts at the international level.
38. In this context, the Commission noted the statement by the Director of the Division of Narcotic Drugs 24/, who considered that the formidable array of agencies and organizations interested in, and ready to take part in, the common fight against drug abuse was a great source of satisfaction and encouragement. The involvement of so many agencies and bodies would, however, require comprehensive over-all co-ordination so as to avoid duplication of effort or overlapping of projects. Inter-agency co-ordination "through both regular and, if necessary, ad hoc meetings would, therefore, be of great value; indeed it was a conditio sine qua non. There was an obvious need to achieve positive co-ordination, i.e. to channel all efforts and make them clearly goal-oriented, and the various agencies and organizations whose programmes included activities related to the drug problem could not be expected to possess the specialized knowledge and long experience which were to be found in the Division of Narcotic Drugs and which were necessary to make efforts completely goal-oriented. It would appear both natural and necessary for projects and other activities in the field of international narcotics control to be channelled through the Division of Narcotic Drugs. Emphasizing that the Division did not consider itself as an executing- agency along with others except in some fairly limited fields where it had been traditionally operational, the Director of the Division stressed that the Division regarded itself as the service organ whose task was to give the necessary narcotics control policy direction to programmes and projects executed by other bodies.
23/ See E/CN.7/549, paras. 1-12 and 18-24; E/CN.7/549/Add.l, paras. 1, 3 and 5-11; E/CN.7/SE.723(Min.) 24/ See E/CN.7/SE.723(Min.)
-15 - Administrative Committee on Co-ordination (ACC)
39. The Administrative Committee on Co-ordination convoked two ad hoc inter-agency meetings on narcotics questions to consider the implementation of the United Nations programme for drug abuse control, as set forth in the aide-mémoire of the Secretary- General of 26 March 1971, to be financed by the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control and participated in by the competent agencies and bodies of the United Nations system of organizations.
40. The first ad hoc inter-agency meeting on narcotics questions was held from 14 to 16 July 1971 at Geneva. It was attended by members of the United Nations Secretariat and of the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control and by representatives of INCB, UNIDO, UNICEF, UNDP, UNSDRI, WFP, the ILO, FAO, UNESCO, WHO and ICPO/INTERPOL.
41. The second ad hoc inter-agency meeting on narcotics questions, held from 24 to 26 July 1972 at Geneva, was attended by members of the United Nations Secretariat and of the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control and by representatives of INCB, UNCTAD, UNICEF, UNDP, UNSDRI, the ILO, FAO, UNESCO, WHO and ICPO/lNTERPOL.
International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO/INTERPOL)
42. At its fortieth session held at Ottawa from 6 to 11 September 1971, the General Assembly of ICPO/I\NTERPOL adopted several resolutions which inter alia recommended that countries affiliated to ICPO/INTERPOL should, in addition to sentencing traffickers to severe prison terms, restrict their freedom of movement after the detention period; measures to eliminate the illegal cultivation of cannabis should be strengthened and such action should be coupled with an extensive publicity campaign about the dangers of using cannabis; and countries where opium poppies are grown should be urged to take all possible steps to eliminate the illicit crops and to prevent the diversion of licit supplies to the illicit market.
43. The forty-first session of the General Assembly of ICPO/INTERPOL was held at Frankfurt from 19 to 26 September 1972. It passed a resolution urging all countries, in view of the fact that drugs are being seized in greater quantities and. over wider areas, to take all possible steps to detect and destroy illicit crops and clandestine laboratories manufacturing drugs; to arrange for law enforcement officials to be given sound training in the detection and investigation of drug crimes; to promote better exchanges of information regarding illicit drug traffic between countries by means of ICPO/INTERPOL; and to apply strict controls to the production, manufacture, trade in, and sale of drugs in order to limit their use to medical and scientific needs and prevent their diversion to illicit channels.
44. It also stated that it would be appreciated if the United Nations would publish the facts in its possession about the dangers of the misuse of drugs, so as to dispel ignorance and remove prejudices in regard to drug abuse.
- 16 - Committee on Crime Prevention and Control
45. At its first session, held in New York from 8 to 16 May 1972, the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control discussed the problem of drug abuse and criminality 25/, on which it had before it a note by the Secretary-General prepared by the United Nations Social Development Division 26/ and containing a contribution by the Division of Narcotic Drugs.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
46. A meeting on Education in More Developed Countries to Prevent Drug Abuse was held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris from 11 to 20 December 1972 27/. Programmes and methods of education on drugs and international co-operation to prevent drug abuse were among the subjects discussed. Twenty-nine experts on education and information from 21 countries attended the meeting. General recommendations were adopted on programmes and methods of drug education in schools, programmes for young people out of school, and methods of research and evaluation concerned with drug education.
United Nations Social Defence Research Institute (UNSDRI)
47. Representatives of 14 country teams interested in research on the narcotic drug phenomenon in their respective countries and of several international organizations met at Frascati, Italy, from 11 to 15 December 1972 to participate in a Workshop on Country Studies on Drug Abuse and Controls. An outline and preliminary survey guide prepared by UNSDRI was discussed. The country studies are intended to be integrated assessments including quantitative data on drug production and abuse and information on attitudes towards the drug problems and on the nature and effectiveness of control policies.
United Nations Division of Social Affairs
48. An Expert Group on Community Reactions to Drug Use by Young People met at Geneva from 4 to 9 December 1972. The meeting was supported by the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control 28/. Experts from six countries and representatives of several international or intergovernmental organizations discussed four main themes: laws and regulations in respect of drug use and abuse; facts of drug use and abuse; attitudes of young people towards drug use; and public opinion and community reactions to the problems of drug use. The group adopted several recommendations on those subjects.
Customs Co-operation Council (CCC)
49. The ninth meeting of representatives of Customs Investigation Services was held at Bonn from 16 to 19 May 1972 under the auspices of the Customs Co-operation Council. It discussed the actual situation regarding drug smuggling, methods and means used for such smuggling and measures to combat it.
25/ E/5191, paras.43-51 26/ E/AC.57/4 27/ See also E/CN.7/549, para.118(r) 28/ See E/CN.7/549, para.118(1) - 17 - Council of Europe
50. The European Committee on Crime Problems proposed a comprehensive resolution for the consideration of the Committee of Ministers, recommending that the Governments of member States apply certain principles relating to the penal aspects of drug abuse - principles of general policy, legislation, police and Customs administration, judicial action, imprisonment, information and training, documentation and research and international co-operation.
51. In co-operation with WHO, the Council of Europe organized a Multidisciplinary Symposium on Drug Dependence at Strasbourg from 20 to 24 March 1972. The Symposium adopted recommendations on the harmonization of legislation within the member States of the Council of Europe and on the establishment of a network of information and research centres, to be organized in collaboration with WHO. It also recommended that Governments should study without delay the possibility of ratifying the Convention on Psychotropic Substances.
52. The Commission was informed that the Division of Narcotic Drugs was represented at the meetings mentioned in paragraphs 39-51 above.
Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
53. The Economic and Social Committee of IPU met at Yaounde in April 1972. It adopted a draft resolution for submission to the sixtieth Inter-Parliamentary Conference, held at Rome in September 1972. The operative part of the draft resolution contained an appeal to the parliaments of all nations to exert influence on their respective Governments with a view, inter alia, to their contributing to the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control on a continuing basis, and ratifying the Convention on Psychotropic Substances and the Protocol Amending the Single Convention.
54. The sixtieth Inter-Parliamentary Conference, which met at Rome from 21 to 29 September 1972, adopted that draft resolution.
League of Arab States (LAS)
55. The International Arab Narcotics Bureau of the League of Arab States organized an International Arab Colloquium on the Prevention of the Drug Problem at Beirut from 11 to 14 December 1972. * * * 56. The activities of the International Narcotics Control Board 29/ and of the World Health Organization 30/ were dealt with separately, as were the meetings and the study tour of the Commission's Ad Hoc Committee on Illicit Traffic in the Near and Middle East 31/. * * *
29/ See paras.122-160 below 30/ See paras.161-198 below 31/ See paras.439-471 below
- 18 - 57. During the Commission's discussion on the work of international and non-governmental organizations relating to the drug problem, the representative of Turkey referred to a number of recent regional activities in that field which were not mentioned in the Division's report. They should he of interest to the Division, which ought to be kept informed of their structure, legal status, decisions, work and impact on international co-operation. In view of his Government's interest in that question, he would he glad if information on those points could he supplied with reference to the committee that had been set up in western Europe, on the initiative of the President of France, for European co-operation in the fight against the illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and drug addiction.
58. The representative of France replied that the approach adopted in that field by the Ministers of the European countries concerned was very pragmatic, enabling the Governments in question to co-operate at the regional level without impeding their full participation in the work undertaken within the framework of the international treaties. For further details, he referred members to a forthcoming article in the Bulletin on Narcotics which would give an account of the work in question.
59. With regard to the practical implications of co-ordinating the various activities concerning drug control, the Director of the Division of Narcotic Drugs said that the Division would encourage all organizations and bodies concerned to inform it well in advance of their activities, meetings, programmes and projects, so that it could achieve the necessary long-term planning. Participation by members of the Division in the meetings of those organizations and bodies must be considered necessary, and informal and ad hoc inter-organizational co-ordinative meetings should be held even more frequently in the future.
Extension of control to new substances in accordance with the international
treaties on narcotic drugs 32/
Notifications under the 1961 Convention
Propiram 33/ 60. The Commission was informed that a note dated 17 November 1971 (NAR/CL.8/1971) had been transmitted to all States Members of the United Nations, to non-member States parties to the 1961 Convention, to the World Health Organization and to the International Narcotics Control Board, communicating the decision taken by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs at its twenty-fourth session, in pursuance of the recommendation made by the World Health Organization under article 3, paragraph 3 (iii), of that Convention, to add propiram to Schedule II of the 1961 Convention 34/, and drawing attention to article 3, paragraph 7, of that Convention.
32/ Agenda item 3(iv) and (i) (see E/CN.7/SR.723 and 724 (Min.) 33/ E/CN.7/549, para.30 34/ See report, twenty-fourth session, para.57
- 19 - Drotebanol 35/
61. The Commission was informed that, in a note dated 27 August 1971 (NAR/CL.6/1971), the Secretary-General had transmitted to the States parties to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and to the World Health Organization a notification received from the Government of Japan. That notification had been submitted by the Government of Japan, in accordance with article 3, paragraph 1, of the 1961 Convention, with a view to the appropriate decision being taken concerning the regime of control applicable to the substance drotebanol.
62. In a notification dated 10 December 1971 (A2/112/D/37), the Director-General of the World Health Organization had notified the Secretary-General in accordance with article 3, paragraph 3, of the 1961 Convention that the World Health Organization had found that 3,4-dimethoxy-17-methylmorphinan-6,B, 14-diol, the proposed international non-proprietary name of which is drotebanol, was liable to similar abuse and productive of similar ill-effects as the drugs in Schedule I of the 1961 Convention, and that the World Health Organization therefore recommended that drotebanol be added to Schedule I of that Convention.
63. The Secretary-General had communicated that finding to the representatives of States members of the Commission in a letter dated 14 January 1972. Their attention had been drawn to resolution 1(XX) of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs adopted at its twentieth session in December 1965 36/ which established a procedure for voting by mail or telegram for the purpose of placing new substances under the control regime laid down in the 1961 Convention, and they had been asked to notify the Secretary- General of their decision by 14 February 1972.
64. Several members of the Commission had voted for the inclusion of drotebanol in Schedule I (Canada, Prance, Federal Republic of Germany, Ghana, India, Japan, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Sweden and Togo). Ho decision had, however, been taken because one member of the Commission (the United States of America) had informed the Director of the Division that the matter of placing drotebanol in Schedule I of the 1961 Convention required further analysis by his Government. He had therefore requested that, in accordance with the procedure agreed upon by the Commission at its twentieth session 37/, the decision concerning the control of drotebanol should be fully discussed at the twenty-fifth session and that the Commission's vote on the subject should be deferred till that time. The Chairman of the Commission had been informed of that request by the Director of the Division and had noted that the vote on the substance, drotebanol, would take place at the present session of the Commission.
65. The representative of the United States of America stated that, after having received the necessary medical and scientific data, his Government was now fully prepared to vote in favour of including that drug in Schedule I of the Single Convention, 1961.
35/ E/CN.7/549, paras.25-28 36/ See report, twentieth session, para.60 37/ Ibid., para.61
- 20 - 66. After brief exposés of the scientific data relating to drotebanol by the representative of Japan and the representative of the World Health Organization and concurring statements by the representatives of France, India, Romania and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Commission decided by 27 votes to none with no abstentions to add drotebanol to Schedule I of the 1961 Convention. 38/
Reasec Plus micro-tablets (a preparation containing diphenoxylate) 39/ 67. The Commission was informed that, in a note dated 17 November 1971 (NAR/CL.9/1971), the Secretary-General had transmitted to the States parties to the 1961 Convention, to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and to the World Health Organization a notification received from the Government of Belgium. In that notification, submitted in accordance with article 3, paragraph 1, of the 1961 Convention, the Government of Belgium had requested that Reasec Plus micro-tablets should be "placed within the sphere of application of paragraph 3 of the list of preparations included in Schedule III" of that Convention. That notification had, however, been cancelled by the Government of Belgium in a communication to the Secretary-General, who had informed the States parties to the 1961 Convention, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the World Health Organization by a note dated 12 April 1972 (NAR/CL.2/1972).
68. In a note dated 13 April 1972 (NAR/CL.3/1972), the Secretary-General had transmitted to the States parties to the 1961 Convention, to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and to the World Health Organization a new notification on that subject from the Government of Belgium under article 3, paragraph 1, of the 1961 Convention. The Government of Belgium had requested in that notification that Reasec Plus micro-tablets "be covered by Schedule III" of the 1961 Convention and that the present text of paragraph 3 of that Schedule he amended to read as follows:
"Preparations of diphenoxylate containing not more than 2.5 milligrammes of diphenoxylate calculated as base and a quantity of atropine sulphate equivalent to not less than 1 per cent of the dose of diphenoxylate calculated as base per dosage unit". 69. In connexion with that request the Government of Belgium, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, in a notification dated 12 December 1972 (A2/112/D33), had informed the Secretary-General that the World Health Organization, in accordance with article 3, paragraph 4, of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, recommended that paragraph 3 of Schedule III of that Convention he amended to read as follows:
"Preparations of diphenoxylate containing, per dosage unit, not more than 2.5 mg of diphenoxylate calculated as base, and a quantity of atrophine sulphate equivalent to at least one per cent, of the dose of diphenoxylate."
38/ E/CN.7/SR.724 (Min.) 39/ B/CN.7/549, paras.31-32, and E/CN.7/549/Add.1, para.13
- 21 - 70. In the absence of any objection, the Commission unanimously decided to adopt the new text recommended by the World Health Organization for paragraph 3 of Schedule III of the 1961 Convention 40/.
Nicodiocodine
71. The Commission was further informed that, in a note dated 17 November 1971 (NAR/CL.7/1971), the Secretary-General had transmitted to the States parties to the 1961 Convention, to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and to the World Health Organization a notification received from the Government of Prance concerning the substance nicodicodine. That notification had been submitted by the Government of Prance under article 3, paragraph 1, of the 1961 Convention and had requested a revision of the World Health Organization's decision (A2/112/N20, as notified in communication NAR/CL. 6/1966), that nicodicodine and its salts were assimilable to the drugs mentioned in article 1, paragraph 2, group I, sub-group (a), of the 1931 Convention for Limiting the Manufacture and Regulating the Distribution of Narcotic Drugs, as amended by the Protocol of 1946, and should fall under the regime laid down in that Convention for drugs in group I, and consideration of the transfer of nicodicodine, or nicotinic acid ester of dihydrocodeine, from Schedule I to Schedule II of the 1961 Convention, by analogy with codeine, dihydrocodeine and nicocodine, or nicotinic acid ester of codeine, substances included in Schedule II.
72. The Director-General of the World Health Organization, in a notification dated 12 December 1972 (A2/112/N20), had informed the Secretary-General that the World Health Organization, in accordance with article 3, paragraph 6, of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, recommended that nicotinic acid ester of dihydrocodeine, the proposed non-proprietary name of which was nicodicodine, and its salts, be transferred from Schedule I to Schedule II of that Convention.
73. The Commission unanimously adopted the recommendation of the World Health Organization and decided to transfer nicodicodine from Schedule I to Schedule II of the 1961 Convention 42/.
74. The Commission was informed that the Narcotics Bureau of the Central Department for Pharmacies and Medicaments of the French Ministry of Public Health, in a letter dated 27 October 1972, had requested that nicodicodine, in the event of its being transferred from Schedule I to Schedule II, should be included in the list of preparations in paragraph 1 of Schedule III of the 1961 Convention. The official notification through the diplomatic channel required by the 1961 Convention had not been received from the Government of Prance until 3 January 1973, thus making it impossible for the Secretariat to transmit that notification in time to all parties to the 1961 Convention and to the World Health Organization, as required by article 3, paragraph 2, of that Convention.
40/ B/CN.7/SR.724 (Min.) 41/ E/CN.7/549, para.29 and E/CN.7/549/Add.1, para.12 42/ E/CN.7/SR.724 (Min.)
- 22 - 75. In view of those procedural difficulties and the World Health Organization's general policy not to recommend any changes in the Schedules of the 1961 Convention prior to receiving an official notification, the representative of Prance requested the World Health Organization to make a recommendation for the addition of nicodicodine to the list of preparations in paragraph 1 of Schedule III of the 1961 Convention. With regard to the legal requirements of the 1961 Convention, he pointed out that, where the addition of a preparation to Schedule III was concerned, the provisions of that Convention did not require the World Health Organization to await an official notification. Under article 3, paragraph 4, of the 1961 Convention, the World Health Organization could, on its own initiative and even in the absence of any notification, recommend to the Commission the addition of a preparation to Schedule III, if it found that the preparation in question, because of the substances which it contained, was not liable to abuse and could not produce ill effects, and that the drug therein was not readily recoverable 43/.
76. In view of the difference between his interpretation of article 3, paragraph 4, of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, and the general policy of WHO, the representative of France requested the Secretariat to obtain an official legal interpretation of the paragraph from the Office of Legal Affairs at United Nations Headquarters in Hew York.
77. The Commission was subsequently informed that, according to the interpretation by the Legal Counsel of the United Nations, the World Health Organization could act under article 3, paragraph 1, of the 1961 Convention either on the basis of information supplied by a party or on its own initiative in the light of information received from other sources. In the first case, a party had to supply the pertinent information by sending a notification to the Secretary-General, who had to transmit it to WHO to enable that organization to make a recommendation. In the case of article 3, paragraph 4; of the 1961 Convention, however, a recommendation by WHO for the addition of a preparation to Schedule III of that Convention might be included in a notification sent by WHO to the Secretary-General under article 3, paragraph 1, of that Convention. In acoordance with article 3, paragraph 2, the Secretary-General then had to transmit the notification, including the recommendation and any relevant information, to the parties and the Commission. The Commission could take a decision under article 3, paragraph 4, of the 1961 Convention as soon as it had received a notification and a recommendation by WHO. Where WHO was acting on information not supplied by a party, there was no need for a notification to precede the recommendation; the notification and the recommendation could be made simultaneously.
78. At the request of the representative of France, the Commission unanimously decided that the notification by the Government of France should be transmitted immediately by the Secretariat to WHO.
43/ Ibid.
- 23 - 79. The Commission was then informed that, in reply to a note from the Secretary¬ General dated 2 February 1973, the Director-General of WHO, in a note verbale (A2/112/NG0) of 5 February 1973, had acknowledged receipt of the notification of the Government of France and, in accordance with article 3, paragraph 4, of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 196l, had informed the Secretary-General that WHO recommended the addition of nicodicodine to paragraph 1 of the list of preparations included in Schedule III of that Convention.
80. In accordance with article 3, paragraph 4, of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961 and with the recommendation of WHO, the Commission decided by 27 votes to none, with no abstentions to add nicodicodine to paragraph 1 of the list of preparations included in Schedule III of that Convention.
Notification under the 1931 Convention and the 1948 Protocol
Nicodicodine
81. In connexion with the request of the Government of France concerning nicodicodine 44/, which was in accordance with article 11, paragraph 5, of the 1951 Convention for limiting the manufacture and regulating the distribution of narcotic drugs, as amended by the Protocol signed at Lake Success, New York, on 11 December 1946, and in connexion with articles 1 and 3 of the 1948 Protocol bringing under international control drugs outside the scope of the 1931 Convention, the Director-General of the World Health Organization notified the Secretary-General of the United Nations of the World Health Organization's decision to remove nicodicodine and its salts from the regime laid down for the drugs specified in article 1, paragraph 2, group I, sub-group (a), of the 1931 Convention and to place them under the regime laid down for the drugs specified in article 1, paragraph 2, group II, of that Convention. That decision had been taken in accordance with article 11, paragraphs 3 and 7, of the 1931 Convention and with articles 1 and 3 of the 1948 Protocol 45/.
82. The Commission was informed that that decision would be communicated by the Secretary-General to all States Members of the United Nations, to the non-member States mentioned in article 28 of the 1931 Convention, to non-member States parties to the 1948 Protocol, to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and to the International Narcotics Control Board.
44/ See para. 71 above 45/ See E/CN.7/549/Add.1, para.14
- 24 - Signatures, ratifications, accessions and successions concerning the multilateral treaties on narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances 46/
83. The Commission reviewed developments in this field since its twenty-fourth session in the light of the data given in the report of the Division of Narcotic Drugs for the period under review 47/ ando f further information received by the Secretariat up to the opening of the session on 22 January 1973. It gave special attention to developments relating to the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971, and. to the 1972 Protocol Amending the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961.
Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971
84. The Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 was open for signature until 1 January 1972 inclusive, by which date it had been signed, subject to ratification, by 36 States.
85. The Convention will come into force on the ninetieth day after 40 of the States referred to in the treaty have signed it without reservation of ratification or have deposited their instruments of ratification or accession with the Secretary-General.
Protocol Amending the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961
86. The Economic and Social Council, noting that amendments had been proposed to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, and bearing in mind article 47 of that Convention, decided by its resolution 1577 (L) of 20 Kay 1971 to call, in accordance with Article 62, paragraph 4, of the Charter of the United Nations, a conference of plenipotentiaries to consider all amendments proposed to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961.
87. The United Nations Conference to Consider Amendments to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, met at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 6 to 24 March 1972. Ninety-seven States were represented at the Conference by representatives and five by observers. In accordance with the invitation extended to them by the Council, INCB, WHO, and ICPO/INTERPOL were also represented.
88. The Conference elected Mr. K.B. Asante (Ghana) as President of the Conference, Mr. D, Nikolić (Yugoslavia) as First Vice-President and the representatives of 10 States as Vice-Presidents. It set up a General Committee, a Committee I and a Committee II, a Drafting Committee and a Credentials Committee.
89. As a result of its deliberations, as recorded in the summary records of the Plenary and Committees I and II, the Conference adopted and opened for signature the Protocol Amending the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961. In addition, the Conference adopted three resolutions annexed to its Final Act. 48/
46/ Agenda item 3(iv) (see E/CN.7/SR.724(Min.) 47/ E/CN.7/549, paras. 33-41, 72-80 and E/CN.7/549/Add.1, paras. 16-20, 33-34 48/ For texts of the Final Act and Protocol, see document E/CONF.63/9
- 25 - 90. The 1972 Protocol is deposited with the Secretary-General and was open for signature until 31 December 1972 on behalf of any Party or signatory to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961; it had been signed by that date by 54 States. It is subject to ratification by States which have signed it and have ratified or acceded to the 1961 Convention. After 31 December 1972, it was open for accession by any Party to the 1961 Convention which did not sign the Protocol. The instruments of ratification or accession are to be deposited with the Secretary-General. The 1972 Protocol will come into force on the thirtieth day following the date on which the fortieth instrument of ratification or accession is deposited with the Secretary-General.
91. The Commission noted with appreciation that, in the period between its twenty- fourth and twenty-fifth sessions, the following States had ratified, accepted, acceded to or succeeded to the treaties as follows:
1972 Protocol: Australia, Finland, Panama, Sweden, United States of America
1971 Convention; Bulgaria, Chile, Egypt, Finland, Panama, Paraguay, South Africa, Sweden, Venezuela
1961 Convention: Dominican Republic, Fiji, Greece, Iran, Luxembourg, Paraguay, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
1948 Protocol: Fiji
1946 Protocol; Fiji
1936 Convention; Chile
1951 Convention; Fiji
1925 Convention; Fiji
1912 Convention; Fiji
92. The total number of parties to the more recent treaties was thus raised to 87 for the 1961 Convention, 49/ 9 for the 1971 Convention and 5 for the 1972 Protocol. 50/
49/ Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Dahomey, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Holy See, Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Viet-Nam, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Upper Volta, Venezuela, Yugoslavia and Zambia. 50/ See para. 91 above
- 26 - 93. The Commission took note of the "Status of Multilateral Treaties on Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances that are deposited with the Secretary-General", which was brought up to date for the twenty-fifth session. 51/
94. The representative of Prance stated in this connexion that the instrument of ratification for the 1953 Protocol and for the 1961 Convention had been deposited by his Government with the Secretary-General also on behalf of the territories of Comoro Islands, French Polynesia, the French Territory of the Afars and Issas, New Caledonia, and St. Pierre and Miquelon.
95. The discussion which followed 52/ concentrated mainly on the importance of, and the necessity for, the entry into force of the 1971 Convention and the 1972 Protocol. This was stressed by most of the representatives and observers who described the position of their Governments and the preparatory steps taken in this matter.
96. In his opening statement on this point, the representative of Turkey, stressing his Government's basic readiness to ratify the 1971 Convention, expressed his concern at the fact that only a few industrialized countries, such as Sweden and Finland, had ratified that Convention. Turkey had always considered that the measures for the control of narcotic drugs, mostly produced in agricultural countries, and those for the control of psychotropic substances, mainly produced in industrialized countries, should run parallel, it being understood that certain differences might exist in view of the nature of the substances in question and the requirements of medicine and scientific research. His Government took the view that it was most important to the international community that the major industrialized countries should ratify and bring into effect the 1971 Convention in the near future; it was not prepared to ratify the 1972 Protocol until the 1971 Convention had. been ratified by the principal industrialized countries.
97. The representatives of India, Mexico, Peru and Yugoslavia and the observer for Ghana fully supported the view expressed by the representative of Turkey and his urgent call for immediate ratification of the 1971 Convention.
98. The representatives of the following countries briefly described the present legal position of their Governments with regard to the recent international instruments and to the control of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in their countries:
Australia: The Government was not in a position to ratify the 1971 Convention for the time being owing to a minor defect in legislation, which it was hoped would be corrected at the next session of Parliament that would open at the end of February 1973. In the meantime, however, control measures, some of which were even stricter than those of the Convention, were applied to psychotropic substances.
51/ E/CN.7/549/Add.2 52/ E/CN.7/SR.724(Min.)
- 27 - Brazil: In 1972, the Brazilian Congress had accepted the 1971 Convention and the Government had established state commissions on drug control.
Canada; Although Canada was not yet a party to the 1971 Convention and the 1972 Protocol, some of the control measures for which they provided were already being applied by the Government, which was at present studying the question of accession to those instruments.
Cuba; Although the 1971 Convention was not yet in force, psychotropic substances were controlled in Cuba and the Government was studying the possibility of acceding to that Convention.
Egypt; Having been one of the first countries to ratify the 1971 Convention, the Government was taking the necessary steps to ratify the 1972 Protocol as soon as possible.
France; Seeking to place natural and synthetic drugs on the same footing, the Government had instituted the necessary procedures for ratification of the 1972 Protocol and the 1971 Convention; measures for the control of psychotropic substances were already being applied.
Germany. Federal Republic of: Because of legal difficulties presented by article 3, paragraph 7, of the 1961 Convention, which was considered to infringe the sovereignty of States parties, the 1961 Convention had not yet been ratified by Parliament. A bill for its ratification was, however, before Parliament and would probably be passed during 1973.
Ghana: The Government was ready to ratify the 1971 Convention and had taken the necessary steps to do so at an early date.
Greece: Since strict measures of control were already being applied to psychotropic substances, the Government had not ratified the 1971 Convention but had recently enacted a new law applicable to both narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
India; Accession to the 1971 Convention was at present under consideration by the Government, which had taken measures to review national laws with a view to bringing psychotropic substances under adequate licensing control.
Indonesia; She country had signed the 1972 Protocol but it would be some time before it could accede to the 1971 Convention because many of the substances covered by that Convention were already subject to control under the narcotic drugs legislation.
Jamaica: The abuse of psychotropic substances not being a problem in the country, consideration of accession to the 1971 Convention had had to be given a low priority. With reference to becoming a party to the 1972 Protocol, the Government was inclined to await ratification of the 1971 Convention by the major manufacturing countries.
- 28 - Mexico: Only constitutional procedures remained to be carried out for accession to the 1971 Convention, which had already been approved by the Senate.
Nigeria; The Government was taking all the necessary steps to ratify both the 1971 Convention and the 1972 Protocol.
Panama|: Having ratified the 1971 Convention and the 1972 Protocol, the Government had established a body of inspectors to control narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in collaboration with the health service. Though a large proportion of the illicit traffic passed through the Panama Canal Zone, which was not under the Government's jurisdiction, the control system worked well in the area of the capital, but not in rural areas because of the lack of budgetary resources to ensure adequate control of pharmacies in those areas. The Government needed the co-operation of pharmaceutical laboratories producing such drugs and the assistance of WHO and of countries producing psychotropic substances in order to ensure that retailers did not have complete latitude in advertising such products.
Peru: As a country which produced but did not consume cocaine, Peru was making efforts beyond its budgetary resources to comply with its obligations under the 1961 Convention, and looked to developed countries for some help in that respect.
Romania: Although there was practically no abuse of drugs in the country, a law meeting the requirements of the 1961 Convention had been enacted and the procedure for accession to that Convention was in its final stage. Measures had already been taken to give effect to some provisions of the 1971 Convention, and the formalities for accession to that Convention would be carried out later.
Singapore: Although Singapore was not a Party to any of the international treaties concerning narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, the country's laws provided for control measures as strict as those required by the 1961 Convention. The Government was preparing new legislation in accordance with the main provisions of the 1971 Convention and the 1972 Protocol, to which it would accede as soon as that legislation had been enacted.
Spain: The substances covered by the 1971 Convention were subject to control and a bill proposing accession to that Convention had been submitted to the Cortes. The Government was also ready to accede to the 1972 Protocol.
Sweden: The Government had ratified both the 1971 Convention and the 1972 Protocol and was engaged in a co-operative effort to take whatever measures were possible concerning psychotropic substances.
United Kingdom: Since the Government was ready to ratify the 1972 Protocol in the near future, it considered that it was not yet advisable to accede to the 1971 Convention in view of the fact that new legislation providing for strict control measures for both narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances was in preparation and about to be adopted.
- 29 - United States of America; The United States had ratified the 1972 Protocol. The President had submitted the 1971 Convention to the Senate for ratification, with a recommendation for early approval. Existing legislation was already adequate to cover most of the obligations of that Convention, and the legislative proposals needed for full compliance with the remaining obligations of that Convention had been placed before Congress.
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; Under the legislation already in force, psychotropic substances and barbiturates were under strict control, in particular with regard to their import, export, manufacture and distribution by pharmacies and hospitals, where they were dispensed only on medical prescription. Hallucinogens, such as LSD and other preparations based on lysergic acid, were prohibited for human administration. In December 1971, the USSR had signed the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, subject to ratification. The competent Soviet authorities were now considering the question of ratifying that Convention.
Yugoslavia; The procedure for ratification of the 1971 Convention was in progress. Psychotropic substances had, however, already been placed under control in Yugoslavia prior to the adoption of the 1971 Convention.
99. The representative of the International Arab Narcotics Bureau of the League of Arab States expressed his conviction that, following the recommendations of the Bureau, the Arab countries, which did not produce psychotropic substances but were participating actively in the fight against all drugs of abuse, would accede to the 1971 Convention.
100. With regard to ratifications of, and accessions to, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971, the representatives of Turkey, Argentina, Egypt, Prance, India, Jamaica, Mexico and Yugoslavia submitted a draft resolution 53/ recommending a resolution for adoption by the Economic and Social Council. The Commission adopted this resolution, as amended during its discussion, by 28 votes to none, with 1 abstention. The resolution reads as follows:
Resolution 2 (XXV) Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971: ratifications and accessions
The Commission on Narcotic Drugs
Recommends the adoption of the following draft resolution by the Economic and Social Council:
[For this part of resolution 2 (XXV), see chapter XII, draft resolution B!
53/ E/CN.7/L.353
-30- 101. The representative of Sweden submitted a draft resolution 54/ concerning ratifications of, and accessions to, the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, and the 1972 Protocol Amending the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961. The Commission adopted this resolution, as amended during the discussion, by 27 votes to none, with 3 abstentions. The resolution reads as follows;
Resolution 3 (XXV): Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, and 1972 Protocol Amending the Single Convention on Narcotic Drags, 1961. ratifications and accessions
The Commission on Narcotic Drugs
Recommends the adoption of the following draft resolution by the Economic and Social Council:
[For this part of resolution 3 (XXV), see chapter XII, draft resolution C]
National laws and regulations communicated under the international treaties on narcotic drags 55/
102. Under the provisions of the narcotics treaties and in accordance with the relevant decisions of the Commission and the Council, 56/ Governments are required to communicate to one another, through the Secretary-General, the texts of the laws and regulations enacted by them to give effect to these treaties. The Secretary-General circulates the texts received in the E/NL... series of documents.
103. The Commission took note that, during the period 1 July 1971 to 22 January 1973, 81 legislative texts of laws and regulations were communicated to the Secretary-General by the following Governments: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Finland, Germany, Federal Republic of, Honduras, Hungary, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Senegal, Somalia, Spain, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America and Zambia.
54/ E/CN.7/L.365 55/ Agenda item 3 (i) and 3 (iv) (See E/CN.7/SR.724(Min.) 56/ Article 30 of the 1925 Convention, article 21 of the 1931 Convention, article 16 of the 1936 Convention, article 4 of the 1953 Protocol, article 18 of the 1961 Convention; see also reports of the Commission, first session (Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, Fourth Session, Supplement No. 1 (E/251)), eleventh session (ibid., Twenty-second Session, Supplement No. 8 (E/2891)), and twentieth session (ibid., Fortieth Session. Supplement No.2 (E/4140)).
- 31 - 104. In pursuance of Council resolution 626 C III (XXII), the Secretariat prepared a multi-purpose cumulative index covering all texts of lavs and regulations issued by the United Nations. The Commission noted that, in accordance with the wishes it had expressed at its twenty-second session, 57/ the Secretariat had published the sixth addendum to that index, covering only the legal texts issued in the E/NL.1971/... series. .58/
Annual reports of Governments 59/
105. Governments are required to submit annual reports under the international treaties on narcotic drugs - in particular, under article 21 of the 1931 Convention, article 16 of the 1936 Convention, both as amended by the 1946 Protocol, under article 10 of the 1953 Protocol and under article 18 of the 1961 Convention as well as in conformity with decisions of the Commission and the Council. 60/ In these reports Governments give full information on the implementation of their various obligations under the international narcotics treaties during the year under review. These reports are prepared in accordance with a questionnaire established by the Commission (E/NR.FORM/Rev.2), which is sent by the Secretariat to Governments. Each chapter of the questionnaire contains references to the relevant articles of the treaties whose provisions have a direct bearing on the information requested of Governments. The Commission has decided that annual reports should reach the Secretary-General not later than 30 June of the year following the year to which the report relates.
106. The Commission was informed that the Secretarial had sent, as it did each year, reminders to the Governments of those countries from which it had not received an annual report. On 9 March 1972 reminders had been sent to countries whose annual report for 1970 had not yet been received and on 3 July 1972, to countries whose annual report for 1971 bad not been received by 30 June 1972. 6l/
107. The Commission noted with regret that, in spite of these reminders, for the year 1970, 32 countries or territories, and for the year 1971, 47 countries or territories, had not yet transmitted their annual reports to the Secretary-General as at 15 December 1972. 62/'
57/ See report, twenty-second session, para. 372 58/ E/NL.1965/lndex/Add.6 59/ Agenda item 3 (iv) (see E/CN.7/SR.724(Min.)) 60/ See reports of the Commission, first session (Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, Fourth Session, Supplement No.1 (E/251)), fourth session (ibid., Ninth Session, Supplement No.9 (E/1361)), seventh session (ibid., Fourteenth Session, Supplement No.8 (E/2219)), thirteenth session (ibid., Twenty-sixth Session. Supplement No.9 (E/3133)) and twentieth session (ibid., Fortieth Session, Supplement No.2 (E/4140)); see also Council resolutions 49 (IV) of 28 March 1947 and 246 B and C (IX) of 6 July 1949 61/ See E/CN.7/549, paras. 45 and 46 62/ See E/CN.7/549, para. 47, and E/CN.7/549/Add.1, para. 26
- 32 - 108. The Commission took note of the "Summary of Annual Reports of Governments Relating to Opium and Other Narcotic Drugs, 1970" 63/ which covers 130 annual reports for 1970, five reports for 1969 and two reports for 1968, all received prior to 30 September 1972.
109. The Commission was informed that during 1971 and 1972 the Secretariat had communicated with several Governments in connexion with their annual reports, drawing attention to the necessity of abiding by certain clearly defined obligations, such as those in connexion with the system of import certificates end export authorizations, and requesting explanations or further information.
110. At its eighteenth, twentieth, twenty-first, twenty-second and twenty-third sessions, the Commission requested the Secretary-General to draw the attention of Governments to their obligations under the international narcotics treaties, especially with regard to the return of export authorizations duly endorsed after importation of the narcotic drugs in question. On examining the annual reports for 1970 and 1971 the Secretariat had noted that several countries had been mentioned as not having returned the export authorizations duly endorsed. 64/ In each case the Secretariat drew the attention of the Governments concerned to their obligation under the treaties and to the wish expressed by the Commission that the authorizations should be returned by registered mail.
111. In many cases, the Secretariat was later informed that such export authorizations, duly endorsed, had been forwarded to the competent authorities of the requesting Government, or it had received from the Government to which the request had been addressed the duly endorsed authorizations for transmittal to the requesting Government.
112. In this connexion, the Commission was informed by the United States representative during the session, that in the meantime all authorizations from the importing countries listed in the Division's report 64/ had been duly returned to it. The representative of Yugoslavia said that his Government had duly returned the export authorization to Belgium. The observer for Spain stated that his Government must have been erroneously mentioned under "Mexico", 64/ because it had not imported any narcotic drugs from that country in 1970. The representative of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics informed the Commission that the competent authorities of his country had returned the authorization to Belgium. 65/ In general, he pointed out that the work of the importing countries would be considerably facilitated if the documents to be returned to the exporting countries were specially marked. 65/
63/ E/NR.1970/SUMMARY 64/ See E/CN.7/549, para. 49 65/ See E/CN.7/SR.724 (Min.)
- 33 - 113. The representative of France said that the part of the Division's report dealing with the return of export authorizations could he eliminated in the future because supervision of the strict application of the international treaties in that respect was more a matter for the International Narcotics Control Board, which should publish a list of countries that had not fulfilled their treaty¬ obligations after having heard the reasons for their failure to do so. 65/
114. On the proposal of the representative of Yugoslavia and having regard to the concurring opinion of the Director of the Division, the Commission agreed that, in future, only countries which had not complied with their obligation to send annual reports to the Secretary-General should be mentioned in the Division's report, and that the Governments to which reminders had been sent should no longer be listed. 65/
List of drugs under international control 66/
115. In its discussions on the control and limitation of documentation at its twenty-second session, the Commission decided 67/ that an addendum to the list of substances under international control should be issued annually and that a complete list should be prepared jointly with the secretariat of the International Narcotics Control Board every four years. The first List of Drugs under International Control to appear following that decision 68/ was issued in August 1971. Since that time, only propiram 69/ has been placed under international control in accordance with the 1961 Convention.
116. The Secretariat drew the Commission's attention to the fact that INCB publishes annually a "List of Narcotic Drugs under International Control" ("Yellow List", last edition: 16th edition, March 1972) as an annex to the statistical forms. That list contained all the narcotic drugs under international control and any drug coming under control after publication of the last list was included in the next edition, propiram having been included in the 1972 list.
66/ Agenda item 3 (i) (see E/CN.7/SE.724 (Min.)) 67/ Report, twenty-second session, para. 372 D 68/ E/CN.7/537/Add.1 (English and French only) 69/ N-(1-methyl-2-piperidinoethyl)-N-2-pyridylpropionamide
-34- 117. In view; of this fact and in order to comply with the pertinent resolutions of the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly on the limitation of documentation and to streamline the work still further, it was suggested by the Secretariat that the decision referred to in paragraph 115 above should be reconsidered, and that it should be decided that, from 1973 onwards, only the "Yellow List" should be considered as the "single list" of narcotic drugs under international control for the purpose of its earlier decision, 67 thus avoiding the duplication involved in publishing another complete list every four years with annual addenda. The list published by the International Narcotics Control Board should be produced in close co-operation with the Division of Narcotic Drugs. 118. The Commission unanimously agreed to that proposal but underlined that that new procedure should not affect the "Multilingual List of Narcotic Drugs under International Control", 70/ which should continue to be published from time to time. 71/ List of national authorities empowered to issue certificates and authorizations for the import and export of narcotic drugs 72/ 119. The Commission decided, at its twenty-second session, that changes in this list should be communicated during the year and that a complete list should be published every four years. 73/ 120. The Commission noted that, in accordance with its decision, an addendum 74/ had been published by the Division. Manufacture of narcotic drugs 72/ 121. The Commission took note that in accordance with its decision at its twenty-second session, 75/ an addendum 76/ had been published by the Division.
70/ E/CN.7/513 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E/F/S/R.69.XI.1) 71/ See E/CN.7/SE.724 (Min.) 72/ Agenda item 3 (i) 73/ See report, twenty-second session, para. 372 C 74/ E/NA.1971/1/Add.1 75/ See report, twenty-second session, para. 372 C 76/ E/NF.1969/Add.1
- 35 - Reports of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) to the Economic and Social Council and administrative arrangements to ensure the full technical independence of the Board 77/ 122. The Commission was informed that since the twenty-fourth session of the Commission, INCB had held three sessions (ninth session, 25 October - 12 November 1971; tenth session, 23 May - 3 June 1972; eleventh session, 23 October - 15 November 1972) at which the Division of Narcotic Drugs had been represented. At its eleventh session, the Board had adopted its report for 1972 and examined the estimates of narcotic drugs for 1973.78/ 123. In his introduction to the reports of INCB for 1971 and 1972, Sir Harry Greenfield, President of the Board, first noted that, whereas the report for 1971 79/ had been presented to the Economic and Social Council in May 1972, the report for 1972 80/ had not yet reached Governments but had been distributed to delegations during the session. 124. Referring to the 1971 report of the Board, Sir Harry drew attention to the continually expanding representation of the Board at international conferences. Such participation was already extensive and was bound to increase still further with the anticipated growth in the overall dimensions and complexity of the drug problem.
125. He remarked on the fuller recognition by Governments and the general public of the gravity of the problem and of its implications for the future of mankind. That recognition had found expression in the enlargement of the defensive apparatus provided in the international treaties. While there had been little extension in the authority of the 1961 Convention, those countries which had not ratified that Convention had nevertheless complied with its provisions and provided the Board with the information which was essential to the application of international controls.
126. With regard to the application of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 in advance of ratification, he said that the Board had addressed a questionnaire to all Governments and had received replies from over sixty countries. That was most gratifying, although the Board hoped that Governments would formally ratify the Convention as soon as possible. 127. Another major reinforcement of the drug control treaty structure was the adoption of the 1972 Protocol Amending the Single Convention, 1961. Stressing that the Board had abstained from participation in the discussions at the
77/ Agenda item 3(ii) (see E/CN.7/SE.725, 740 and 741 (Min.)) 78/ E/CN.7/549, para. 13 and E/CN.7/549/Add.1, para. 2 79/ E/INCB/13 80/ E/INCB/17
-36- plenipotentiary conference, since the assignment of functions and responsibilities to the Board was exclusively a matter for Governments, he welcomed the adoption of the Protocol as a further strengthening of the international control system and stated that the Board was making preparations for its implementation.
128. He then reported that during the previous 12 months, missions had gone to Turkey, Burma, Afghanistan and Iran, that they had had good results and that yet another mission would go to South America in the near future.
129. Reporting on the mission to Turkey, he said that the Board was impressed with the realism of the measures planned by the Government to ensure the effective abolition of opium production and its determination to carry those plans through. From what the mission had seen and heard, the Board looked confidently to the Government to consolidate its work through close co-operation with the Governments of the neighbouring countries.
130. He noted that all the four countries concerned - Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan - were members of the Ad Hoc Committee on Illicit Traffic in the Near and Middle East set up by the Commission, and stated that that represented the kind of regional co-operation which the Board had long desired.
131. Perhaps the most important knowledge the Board had gained from its recent missions had been in regard to the attitude of the Government of Afghanistan. In the Board's judgment, that Government, restrained only by the paucity of its resources, was ready and willing to do what was necessary to remedy the situation in its jurisdiction. When in Afghanistan, he had been repeatedly reminded that the Government had been deeply disappointed that an international mission to Afghanistan 15 years earlier had not resulted in the provision of the technical and financial aid which it had been led to hope it would receive, and the Board trusted that such a situation would not recur.
132. The situation in Iran was somewhat different, since the Government was by no means without financial resources. However, its pressing need was to develop treatment programmes to restrain addiction to both opium and heroin.
133. Turning to the situation in Nepal, Sir Harry said that the Board was concerned by the increase in cannabis cultivation. Large quantities of cannabis were carried across the frontier into the northern provinces of India. That was highly unwelcome to the Indian authorities and indeed to the rest of the world. Although the Board had so far not succeeded in eliciting any practical response from the Nepalese authorities, it was conceded that the Government's administrative resources were extremely slender and its frontier with India was long and vulnerable to the movement of contraband. It earnestly hoped that the Government would soon agree to enter into close collaboration with the Indian authorities in policing the frontier.
134. Important remedial measures had recently been initiated in Thailand and Laos, with multilateral and bilateral assistance. However, it had been evident that such measures could not be fully effective unless they were supplemented by joint action transcending national frontiers. The Board had accordingly sent a mission to Burma
- 37 - and he was able to report that the Burmese authorities had expressed willingness to adopt such measures as were within their capacity and the Board hoped that the country would receive such external aid as might be needed in a form acceptable to the Government.
135. The restoration of the lawful rights of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations was of special relevance to the situation in Asia. From friendly discussions with the delegation of China in New York, the Board had derived the impression that full co-operation might be forthcoming.
136. Turning to South America, Sir Harry recalled that the two missions sent to Bolivia in 1964 and 1966 had reached agreements with the Government but that subsequent political developments had prevented those agreements from achieving the anticipated results. Another Board mission would visit Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia in the near future.
137. He also mentioned the vigorous action taken in restraining demand and illicit supply. An appreciative reference to those actions (for example, in Prance and the United States of America) had been made in the Board's report for 1972.
138. Before concluding, Sir Harry referred to the need for Governments to take special care in selecting persons to be nominated for election to the new Board which would replace the existing Board in 1974. The qualities required of members of the Board were many-sided and they needed to possess a comprehensive range of knowledge and experience that would help the new Board in its quest for solutions to the perplexing and growing problems of drug abuse.
139. Some delegations drew the Commission's attention to article 15, paragraph 1, of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, which required that the annual reports of the Board "shall be submitted to the Council through the Commission, which may make such comments as it sees fit". The majority of members of the Commission regretted that, contrary to that cogent provision of the 1961 Convention, the procedure for which it provided had not been followed with regard to the Board's report for 1971 because of the Council's decision that functional commissions should meet only biennially, 81/ and noted that the report for 1971 had already been considered by the Council in May 1972. 82/
140. In view of that fact, the Commission concentrated its discussion on developments in respect of opium and coca leaf, as reported by the Division, 83/ and on the Board's report for 1972. In general, several delegations expressed a desire that, at future sessions, all data and conclusions relating to the Board's work should be presented in a single document.
81/ Resolution 1156 (XLI) 82/ Resolution 1662 (LII) 83/ E/CN. 7/549 chapter VI; see also E/INCB/15
- 38 - 141. With regard to chapter VI of the Division's report and to the statistics on narcotic drugs published by the Board, 83/ the representative of the USSR stated that, in his Government's view, where States were not obliged to submit certain data, the Board should not refer in its report to countries as not having submitted such data. Data relating to areas of cultivation served little purpose and were not as important as the volume of the crop; they could, in fact, even lead to erroneous conclusions concerning the harvest. States which did not submit such information should not be named, as they were entitled not to do so under the 1961 Convention.
142. In that context, the representative of Yugoslavia commented on the finding that there seemed to he a shortage of licit opium for medicinal purposes, i.e. for the production of morphine, which was then converted into codeine. That shortage might increase following the banning of opium production in Turkey. The Commission, which had always welcomed the decline of opium production in the past, should adopt a definite policy on that question in order to prevent an undesirable shortage of codeine. His delegation had always maintained that it was not the licit production of opium, but the illicit production and traffic which constituted the danger and called for action by national Governments.
143. All representatives and observers who commented on the Board's report for 1972 congratulated the Board on its high quality and expressed their appreciation of the work done by the Board, its Chairman and its secretariat as being an invaluable and indispensable contribution to international action to deal with the drug problem.
144. The representatives and observers of the following countries commented in detail on various parts of this report:
Argentina; Referring to the considerably increased illicit traffic in cannabis mentioned in paragraph 20 of the report, the representative of Argentina drew the Commission's attention to the recommendation of the meeting of South American experts, held at Buenos Aires in November 1972, concerning the eradication of cannabis plants in the region and at the international level.
Egypt; In view of the need for Governments to submit complete and accurate reports to the Board (paragraph 11 of the report) and of the failure of some Governments to do so (paragraphs 58 and 59 of the report), the representative of Egypt invited the Board to study, in co-operation with the Division of Narcotic Drugs and the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control, the possibility of improving that situation by extending training services to Governments to help them to comply with their obligations. Paragraph 46 of the report amply demonstrated the need for placing greater emphasis on the cannabis problem, which called for much more thorough and detailed study, as adequate information was still lacking. Referring to
- 39 - paragraph 88 of the report concerning the cannabis situation in Lebanon, he invited the Board to continue to study the practical aspects of the Lebanese Green Plan, which had been in operation for five years and could serve as an example for projects undertaken under the Fund for Drug Abuse Control.
Germany, Federal Republic of; After expressing appreciation of the accurate and concise description of the situation in his country given in paragraphs 105 and 106 of the report, the representative of the Federal Republic of Germany said he hoped that his Government would soon be able to report further improvements to the Board.
Jamaica: With regard to the recent appearance of cannabis oil on the illicit market (paragraph 49 of the report), the representative of Jamaica stressed the need for a definition of that substance, which was not yet defined in the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961. In his view, the findings on cannabis in a recent report which had been submitted to the Congress of the United States of America and which was mentioned in paragraph 47 of the Board's report, were difficult to justify in view of what was known about the abuse of, and illicit traffic in, cannabis and of the data given in paragraph 48 of the report.
Mexico: Since the ravages of drug abuse were continuing and still increasing, as pointed out in paragraph 1 of the Board's report, the representative of Mexico wondered whether the international community was mobilizing all its resources sufficiently effectively to combat that scourge. Referring to paragraph 57 of the report describing the increasingly heavy responsibilities and growing activities of the Board, he expressed the opinion that an extension of the bureaucratic machinery might not be conducive to the efficiency required of the Board's activities. As paragraph 46 of the report indicated, illicit traffickers were gaining increasing control of the market. The publicity for drugs and the existence of the so-called "sub-culture" were factors making for the development of the traffic. It was his Government's belief that the fight should be concentrated on the big international traffickers. He associated himself with the statement in paragraph 25 of the Board's report that direct bilateral co-operation was ordinarily more productive than co-operation between groups of countries. However useful multilateral or regional co-operation might be, there was a danger of a dispersal of efforts. Commenting on the description of the Board's functions in paragraph 10 of the report, he noted the difference between that paragraph of the report and paragraph 121, where the status of the Board was described as "semi-judicial", a view with which his Government did not and could not associate itself. But his Government fully supported, as evidence of respect for the sovereignty of States, the statement in paragraph 9 that the application of the treaties and the effectiveness of the fight against drug abuse depended first and last on national Governments and their administrations.
Peru; The representative of Peru, referring to paragraphs 51 to 56 of the report describing the specific problem of coca-chewing which affected his country, noted with appreciation the Board's comments in paragraphs 90 and 91 on the efforts made by his Government to cope with that problem. His Government would continue to do all that it could to carry out the necessary structural changes that had already been planned, but if the required reforms were undertaken by his Government alone,
-40- they could be carried out only gradually and slowly. Results would be achieved more quickly and efficiently if a joint effort could be made with the help of other countries. He also stressed the importance of the help of international organizations in the matter of orientation, planning and advisory services.
Spain; With reference to the role and work of the Board, as defined in general terms in paragraphs 9 and 10 of the Board's report, the observer for Spain underlined the necessity for both bilateral and multilateral co-operation. Where the coca leaf problem was concerned, his Government would support all direct and indirect measures to control that scourge, which was current in South America among those sections of the population which had social problems. His Government was, therefore, in favour of the establishment of a regional committee for Latin America.
Turkey: The representative of Turkey expressed appreciation of paragraphs 53 to 65 of the report, in which the Board, welcoming his Government's decision to ban the production of opium, noted the difficulties facing Turkey both economically and as a country liable to be used for transit. His Government, having taken that decision in 1971 for humanitarian reasons, was willing to carry it out in spite of those difficulties. To that end, it had adopted a programme of short- and long-term measures to protect the interests of the poppy cultivators affected by the decision and to compensate them appropriately. On the basis of the quantity of opium delivered to the Soil Products Office in 1971, each cultivator received compensation of 525 Turkish pounds for each kilogramme delivered to that Office. During 1972, 20,000 cultivators in the departments of Denizli and Konya had received a total of more than 20 million Turkish pounds. In the departments of Afyon, Burdur, Kütakya and Isparta, where the production of opium had been ended with the 1972 harvest, those cultivators who had already renounced the cultivation of the opium poppy voluntarily in 1971, had also received a total of more than 10 million Turkish pounds in compensation. Prom March 1973 onwards, the 64,254 cultivators in the region of the seven departments which were the only ones where the opium poppy had recently been cultivated would receive 78 million Turkish pounds annually in compensation for their financial loss. Their whole economy and way of life would also have to be changed. For that reason, his Government had designated the seven departments as a development region for the purpose of replacing the income from the opium poppy. A special "project director" was in charge of carrying out the agricultural and industrial plans and projects in those seven departments. At Ankara, a co-ordination committee composed of representatives of the ministries concerned had been made responsible, under the direction of the Minister of Agriculture, for supervising the preparation and implementation of those plans and projects. The Government of the United States had undertaken to assist the Turkish Government in the application of the programme, both by supplying funds and by sending technicians. In the meantime, a programme for immediate action had been adopted in order to eliminate the effects of the prohibition of opium poppy cultivation and to prepare the necessary steps for giving the region a new economic structure. In that context, wheat cultivation and animal husbandry projects were expected to achieve results in a relatively short time. In addition, long-term projects for a new infrastructure beginning with irrigation had to be implemented.
- 41 - USSR: Referring to paragraphs 58 and 60 of the report, in which the Board noted the failure of some Governments to supply information, the representative of the USSR said he regarded that statement as regrettable and unjustified, since such States as the Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, which were not parties and were, moreover, precluded from becoming parties to the treaties because of the discriminatory provisions they contained, were under no obligation to provide such information. As described in paragraphs 9 and 10 of the report, the work of the Board depended in the first place on the measures taken by national Governments, as the representative of Mexico had already rightly pointed out. Though he considered that both the report for 1971 and the report for 1972 were very valuable and testified to the considerable work accomplished by the Board, he hoped that his comments would be taken into account and reflected in its future reports.
United States of America: In commenting on both the 1971 and 1972 reports of the Board, the representative of the United States expressed his Government's belief that it was in the interest of all countries to reinforce the Board's independence and its capacity to perform its functions. The Board deserved unqualified support in its efforts to carry out its mandate under the international control system. The free exchange of information between the Board secretariat and the Division would help to avoid duplication of effort and achieve economies of staff in a period of fiscal constraint. It was encouraging to receive the Board's report on the visits to certain countries during 1972, the results of which it was hoped would be beneficial to the countries immediately concerned and to all parties to the treaties.
The Board's decision to visit South America early in 1973 in order to give increased attention to that area, to the production of coca and to the illicit processing of, and trafficking in, cocaine must be welcomed.
The Government of the United States of America joined with the Board in calling upon those States which had not yet done so to become parties to the 1961 Convention and in urging ratification of the 1972 Protocol Amending that Convention. The Board's comments in paragraphs 118 to 125 of its 1972 report on the provisions and objectives of the 1972 Protocol, as they applied to the Board's activities under the treaties, gave an assurance that the Board would faithfully interpret and carry out the intentions of the parties, as embodied in the provisions of that Protocol, which confirmed and extended the principles and purposes of the 1961 Convention. It was a source of satisfaction that the Board had discussed at some length the rationale and application of the principle, first explicitly stated in that Protocol, that a recommendation might be made for the provision of technical or financial assistance to a Government to support its efforts to fulfil its treaty obligations. The procedures (described in paragraphs 112 to 115 of the 1972 report) which paved the way for the progressive implementation of the international controls provided for by the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971, even in advance of its coming into full force, should be noted. The positive response of sixty-four countries, including the United States of America, to the Board's invitation to supply the information requested under the Convention, appeared to show that the objectives of the Convention were generally acceptable.
- 42 - In view of the control measures to which psychotropic substances were already subjected in the United States, the Government, when ratifying the 1971 Convention, would need to make only minor amendments to the present legislation in order to discharge its obligations as a Party to that treaty.
The representative of the United States welcomed the fact that, in both the 1971 and 1972 reports, the Board had included paragraphs setting out situations in individual countries which, in its opinion, called for particular comment. Those parts of the Board's reports, namely, paragraphs 63 to 109 of the 1972 report and paragraphs 30 to 72 of the 1971 report, were of special interest to his Government.
The information in paragraph 75 of the 1972 report that the authorized area of opium poppy cultivation in Iran had been reduced for 1973 from 20,000 to 2,000 hectares, and the information in paragraph 44 of the 1971 report that the Government of Iran had undertaken to abandon poppy cultivation when it could be sure that such cultivation had been discontinued in neighbouring countries were warmly welcomed by his Government. He also expressed his Government's hope that a reply to the Board's offer of assistance to Nepal (paragraph 87 of the 1972 report) would not be long in coming, in view of the interest of India and other countries in stopping the smuggling of cannabis in that region. Commenting on paragraphs 99 to 102 of the 1972 report concerning the situation in his own country, he stressed that his Government had declared drug abuse control to be a national objective of first priority, had created new agencies and had strengthened or expanded existing ones, all dedicated to the prevention of drug abuse and the prohibition of the illicit drug traffic. The devotion of the best administrators and scientists of the nation, as well as the extraordinary budgetary resources appropriated to those tasks, gave evidence of the commitment of his Government, whose campaign against drug abuse and for better drug control was led by the President of the United States and had the full support of Congress and the American people.
In addition, his Government was making an extraordinary effort entailing massive expenditure at both the domestic and international levels and encompassing treatment, prevention and education, on the one hand, and enforcement, on the other, considering that it had a responsibility both to its own people and to the international community to do so.
Commenting on the control of cannabis in his country, he stated that the position of his Government had remained constant since the Commission's last session. It continued to follow a reasonable approach to the control of cannabis by discouraging the personal possession and usage of cannabis and providing criminal sanctions for those persons convicted of illicit trafficking in, or production of, cannabis. As a party to the 1961 Convention, it would continue to fulfil its treaty obligations. Summarizing his comments on the 1971 and 1972 reports of the Board, he stated that a comparison of the corresponding parts of the two reports was both discouraging and encouraging. Whereas there were certain areas and situations in which no improvement, or only a slight change, could be noted, some, and even considerable, improvement or progress appeared to have been achieved within the period of one year in other areas. Drawing attention to paragraphs 107 to 109 of the 1972 report concerning China, he expressed his satisfaction with the participation of an observer for that country in the twenty-fifth session of the Commission.
- 43 - Yugoslavia; The representative of Yugoslavia supported the comments made by the representative of the USSR and, referring to paragraph 113 of the 1972 report containing a list of countries having supplied information on psychotropic substances, from which his country was missing, stated that in Yugoslavia psychotropic substances had already been under control prior to the existence of a convention on the subject and that his Government had submitted information on those substances prior to the adoption of the 1971 Convention. At present his Government had nothing to report because psychotropic substances were neither exported nor imported.
145. The section on "Administrative matters" in the Board's report for 1972 (paragraph 126) was discussed by several representatives and observers. The representative of the USSR warned of an endless growth of the bureaucratic machinery, which he considered both undesirable and unnecessary. He could not accept the conclusion in paragraph 126 of the report that an enlargement of the Board's secretariat was necessary, since such an enlargement would involve the United Nations in increased expenditure. On the other hand, the representative of the United States, whose view was shared by the representatives of Egypt and Togo and the observer for Spain, endorsed the need for an enlargement of the Board's secretariat to enable it to perform the additional work entailed by the implementation of the 1971 Convention and the 1972 Protocol. He considered that the increase in staff made on a provisional basis and financed initially by the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control was justified until such time as those costs could be absorbed in the regular budget which, in principle, should cover expenditure on new staff whose recruitment was necessary and justified for the implementation of the treaties.
146. In response to a request for clarification by the representative of Prance concerning the recent study on treatment of drug addicts in Thailand that was mentioned in paragraph 83 of the Board's 1972 report, the representative of the World Health Organization explained that a joint mission of WHO, the ILO and the Division of Narcotic Drugs, supported by the Fund for Drug Abuse Control, had drawn up, together with the experts and authorities of the Thai Government, a draft programme for treatment and rehabilitation of addicts. The final programme would be implemented within the framework of the Fund for Drug Abuse Control.
147. Sir Harry Greenfield, President of the Board, thanked representatives and observers for their comments and assured the Commission that they would be conveyed to the Board at its next session.
148. At the invitation of the Chairman, the Commission took note of the report of the Board for 1972. In accordance with article 15, paragraph 1, of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, the comments made by the Commission on the 1972 report are submitted together with the report to the Economic and Social Council.
- 44 - 149. The Commission was informed 84/ that, in accordance with the provisions of article 9, paragraph 2, of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, stipulating that the Council, in consultation with the Board, should make all arrangements necessary to ensure the full technical independence of the Board in carrying out its functions, the Secretary-General, in 1966, had drawn up administrative arrangements accordingly, in consultation with the then Permanent Central Narcotics Board. By its resolution 1 (XXI), the Commission had recommended to the Council the adoption of those administrative arrangements, as amended by the Commission. 85/ By its resolution 1196 (XLII) of 16 May 1967, the Council had approved, with few modifications, the administrative arrangements for the Board annexed to that resolution.
150. Paragraph 20 of those administrative arrangements stated that they should he in force until 1 March 1974, and that proposals for their prolongation or the conclusion of new or revised arrangements should, in accordance with article 9, paragraph 2, of the 1961 Convention, he submitted to the Council to take effect on 2 March 1974.
151. It would accordingly be necessary for the Council to take a decision on the matter, which it would probably wish to consider at its fifty-fourth session in April/Kay 1975. 152. In that connexion, the attention of the Commission was drawn to the fact that, in March 1972, the United Nations Conference to Consider Amendments to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, had adopted a resolution, 86/ in which, considering that the measures adopted by the Economic and Social Council in its resolution 1196 (XLII) of 16 May 1967 met the wishes of the States parties to the 1961 Convention and to the earlier conventions still in force, it had recommended the continuation of the system which had been instituted by the Secretary-General.
153. Subsequently, through an exchange of official letters, the Secretary-General and the Board had agreed that the present administrative arrangements were satisfactory and that they should continue to be in force.
154. In order to recommend to the Economic and Social Council the continuation of the present administrative arrangements, Prance, the Federal Republic of Germany, Togo, Turkey, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America submitted a draft resolution recommending the Council to decide that the administrative arrangements contained in the annex to its resolution 1196 (XLII) should continue in force until the Council decided otherwise
84/ E/CN.7/551 85/ See report, twenty-first session paras. 98-113 86/ E/CONP.63/9, resolution I
- 45 - in accordance with the procedure provided for in paragraph 20 of those arrangements, and to request the Secretary-General to continue to implement the arrangements, taking into account the character of the Board's functions and the importance of that organ's full technical independence in the performance of its responsibilities.
155. In the discussion on this subject, 87/ the representative of Mexico stated that he was compelled to exercise his right to dissent from the view of the sponsors of the draft resolution. With regard to the objectives of the draft resolution and to the expression "full technical independence" used in the title and in other parts of the text, he said that, as he understood that expression, it meant that the Board's members, who were not government representatives, were free to express their own opinions on the most appropriate approach to any matter with which the Board was dealing under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. Ever since the 1961 Plenipotentiary Conference had drawn up that Convention, his Government had consistently issued warnings and maintained that the Board should not have supra national powers, but should exercise only those powers delegated to it by the Contracting Parties. It had always opposed the trend towards independence that had led the Board to seek a separate status and to impair the Secretary-General's powers of appointment and that were now leading it to request the continuation of special administrative arrangements and a separate budget. During the 1972 Plenipotentiary Conference which had amended the Single Convention on Narcotic Durgs, 1961, it had already succeeded in securing adoption of the principle that its members could be re-elected indefinitely. The Commission ought to have considerably more information than was available in the Board's reports with regard to the Board's activities, rules of procedure and budget, particularly as the members of the Board sometimes appeared to set themselves up as judges on activities and decisions of sovereign Governments. With regard to the competence of the Commission to adopt a draft resolution of the type proposed and to the procedure to be followed, the representative of Mexico emphasized that, since article 9, paragraph 2, of the 1961 Convention did not mention the Commission, only the Economic and Social Council was competent to deal with the matter, which was not included among the functions of the Commission, as described in article 8 of that Convention. In addition, according to rule 28 of the rules of procedure of the functional commissions, an estimate of the financial implications of the draft resolution had to be prepared and discussed prior to any decision. Instead of maintaining the present administrative arrangements, which had already been in force for more than five years, it would, in his delegation's view, be better to revise them, as was possible under paragraph 20 of the arrangements.
156. In replying to the criticisms expressed by the representative of Mexico, the representative of Prance said that, in his view, the note by the Secretary-General provided an objective picture of the situation. The proposed draft resolution was
87/ E/CN.7/SR.725, 740 and 741 (Min.)
-46- as pragmatic as resolution I of the 1972 Conference to Consider Amendments to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, and he could think of no changes that were necessary. Whereas the powers of the Council and of the Commission might be regarded as executive, those of the Board could - in view of articles 14 and 21 of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961 - be characterized as "semi-judicial", as had in fact been done by some experts on international law. Although the powers conferred on the Board might be criticized, there could be no doubt that it must be allowed to work independently in carrying out the functions entrusted to it, not by the United Nations but by the sovereign Governments that were parties to the 1961 Convention. The decision of the 1972 Plenipotentiary Conference that the Board's members might be re-elected which had been criticized by the representative of Mexico had not been influenced by the Board and had been taken solely in the interests of the continuously satisfactory implementation of the treaties. If Governments considered the powers of the Board too extensive, the provisions of the relevant treaties would have to be amended. Although he entirely agreed with the representative of Mexico that rule 28 of the rules of procedure of the functional commissions, concerning financial implications, must be followed with regard to any draft resolution, it was his understanding that the Board's budget formed part of the regular budget of the United Nations that the Board accounted to the appropriate authorities for its administration and that the draft resolution did not ask for anything more than the continuation of the system as it already existed at the present time.
157. The Commission was informed by the Secretariat that, in view of the fact that the Board's budget already formed part of the United Nations regular budget and that it was merely a question of continuing the present situation, no separate estimate of the costs involved had been prepared under rule 28 of the rules of procedure of the functional commissions.
158. The statement by the representative of France was supported by the representatives of the United States of America, Turkey and the United Kingdom. The representative of Turkey pointed out that the draft resolution had in fact no other aim than to continue the present administrative arrangements for the Board after March 1974 and that, by virtue of article 8(c) of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, the Commission was as competent to recommend to the Economic and Social Council the adoption of a draft resolution to that effect as it had been in 1966 when it had recommended to the Council the adoption of the administrative arrangements which were currently in force. Emphasizing that it was only a question of continuing the present administrative arrangements after March 1974, the representative of Togo suggested that that fact should be clearly and precisely indicated in the title of the draft resolution, which should be amended accordingly.
- 47 - 159. The Commission decided by 25 votes to 1, with 3 abstentions to recommend to the Economic and Social Council the adoption of the proposed draft resolution, as amended. The text of the resolution adopted reads as follows;
Resolution 4 (XXV); Keeping in force the administrative arrangements to ensure the full technical independence of the International Narcotics Control Board
The Commission on Narcotic Drugs
Recommends the adoption of the following draft resolution by the Economic and Social Council;
[For this part of the text of resolution A (XXV), see chapter XII, draft resolution D]
160. In explaining his vote under rule 58 of the rules of procedure of the functional commissions, the representative of Mexico said that he had voted against the draft resolution because of his Government's concern that, in guaranteeting the full "technical independence" of the Board, the resolution had at the same time maintained its administrative independence, an independence that did not take into account the essential powers of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, which was composed of sovereign States.
Work of the World Health Organization in the field of drug dependence 88/
161. The representative of WHO informed the Commission that, since its twenty-fourth session, his organization had continued and intensified its work in the field of drug dependence.
88/ Agenda item 3 (iii) (see E/CN.7/SR.726 and 727 (Min.))
- 48 - 162. It was noted that the previous three World Health Assemblies 89/ had given major attention to the ways in which WHO could contribute to the solution of the serious public health and social problems associated with the non-medical use of certain dependence-producing drugs. It was observed that the organization had substantially increased the extent of its activities in that field at both the headquarters and regional levels.
163. The Commission was informed of WHO research and training activities that had taken place since the previous session of the Commission. In September 1972, WHO had conducted a three-week Inter-Regional Seminar for National Programmes on Problems of Alcohol and Drug Dependence. Health and other leaders from twenty-three countries had been afforded an opportunity to observe and discuss programmes in Sweden, Switzerland and Yugoslavia, so that they might be better able to foster improved programme planning, implementation and evaluation in that field in their respective countries.
164. In the same month, the WHO Regional Office for Europe had convened a Conference on the Epidemiology of Drug Dependence in London. That meeting had been organized and supported jointly by the WHO Regional Office, the Department of Health and Social Security of the United Kingdom and the Addiction Research Institute of the Institute of Psychiatry, University of London. The subjects covered had included epidemiology as a technique of research, the usefulness of retrospective and prospective studies, and the social and psychological theories of drug dependence.
165. It was recalled that, pursuant to a recommendation of the Commission, the Economic and Social Council had adopted a resolution concerning research on khat. 90/ In that connexion, the Director-General had arranged for the publication of a review article on "Medical aspects of the chewing of khat leaves", summarizing the available literature. 91/ A grant had also been made by WHO for the carrying out of a preliminary field investigation to explore the feasibility of a definitive study on the prevalence, patterns of use, and other factors associated with khat-chewing in one country.
89/ Off.Rec.Wld Hlth Org.. 1970, 184, 22 (resolution WHA 23.42) Off.Rec.Wld Hlth Org., 1971, 193, 32 (resolution WHA 24-57) Off.Rec.Wld Hlth Org., 1972, 201, 33 (resolution WHA 25.62; 90/ Resolution 1657 (LII) 91/ Bull. Wld Hlth ORG., 1972, 47 (1), pp. 21-29
- 49 - 166. The Commission hoped that, in view of the social and economic consequences of the use of khat, WHO would soon be able to undertake the definitive study of those aspects of the problem. The representative of the International Arab Narcotics Bureau of the League of Arab States assured the Commission that his organization would make every effort to assist in all investigations directed towards increasing scientific knowledge of khat.
167. The WHO representative informed the Commission that a Study Group on Youth and Drugs had met in October 1971. The report of that Group had reviewed in broad perspective the extent and nature of drug-taking by younger as compared with older persons, noted some personal and environmental factors that appeared to be of special significance with respect to drug-taking by particular population or age groups, examined the attitudes and responses of society to various forms and aspects of drug-talcing behaviour, and suggested some fruitful approaches to a better understanding of drug-taking and a. reduction in its prevalence and incidence. It had also noted that, in most countries, the number of adults experiencing serious adverse effects from dependence on alcohol or another traditionally locally accepted drug far exceeded the number of young people similarly affected lay their use of socially disapproved drugs. Consequently, means should be found to reduce the present and future adverse effects among all age groups resulting from the non-medical use of all types of dependence-producing drugs. It was recognized that problems associated with dependence on alcohol were beyond the purview of the Commission, but it was suggested that that observation by the Study Group might nevertheless be of interest in view of the problems of multiple drug use.
168. The Commission noted that, from the medical point of view, there were similarities between drug dependence and alcoholism. It was felt, however, that there were considerable differences in the social and particularly legal aspects associated with these problems.
169. In considering measures at present used to reduce problems associated with drug-taking, the Study Group on Youth and Drugs had noted that knowledge per se did not necessarily protect against drug use, that punishment alone was not effective in deterring drug-dependent persons from reverting to the use of drugs and that available measures for prevention and treatment, including rehabilitation, were far from satisfactory.
170. Recalling that drug-taking involved an interaction between the person taking the drug, his socio-cultural environment, and the nature, amount and manner of drug use, the Study Group had concluded that the problem was to learn how to reduce the destructive effects of non-medical use of drugs to the lowest possible level without undue detriment to society. Recommendations had been made with respect to community treatment and rehabilitation services, and needed research on the epidemiology of drug use, the consequences of drug-taking, and the effectiveness of various preventive and therapeutic approaches and methods in achieving their goals.
171. The Commission noted that, in April 1972, the WHO Regional Office for Europe had convened at Hamburg a Working Group on Health Education Programmes Concerning Drug Abuse in Young People. The Group had discussed the theoretical and practical problems associated with health education about drugs.
-50- 172. The representative of WHO informed the Commission that the WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence, which had met in November 1972, had been invited to assess ways in which the epidemiological approach could most usefully be applied to the study of problems in that field, and to consider means to increase the number and comparability of such studies. Although the report of the Expert Committee was not yet available, it could be noted that the Committee had invited attention to the fact that the field of drug dependence confronted the administrator, epidemiologist an d other research workers with a number of special problems, such as the great diversity of drugs, users and environments, the drug-seeking behaviour of users, the influence of economic profit on the spread end continued use of drugs, emotional factors, the great number of disciplines involved in various aspects of the problem, and social disapproval of drug use and its implication for case enumeration.
173. The Expert Committee had discussed the epidemiological approaches and methods that might be applied to studies of the magnitude and extent of drug-dependence problems, etiology, and programme effectiveness and it had identified several areas in which increased research was urgently needed. Finally, consideration had been given to means of increasing the comparability and usefulness of epidemiological studies in the field of drug dependence, including the use of comparable measures and methods, precise terminology, collection and retrieval of data, collaborative reporting, increasing the resources for research and training, and the encouragement of small working conferences on designated tasks.
174. In November 1971 WHO had convened a Scientific Group on Opiates and their Alternates for Pain and Cough Relief. Wishing to encourage the use in medical practice of analgesics and antitussives having the most favourable effectiveness/ risk ratio, and to facilitate a reduction in the non-medical use of drugs producing dependence of the morphine type, the Group had been invited to compare the opiates of natural origin with their fully synthetic alternates in regard to their therapeutic effectiveness and their adverse effects, including dependence liability. In its report, 92/ the Group had been of the opinion that none of the natural and semi-synthetic opiates used for the relief of pain and cough was fully effective and that none was without adverse effects. None of the effective analgesics having primarily morphine-like properties were without physical dependence liability. There were, however, substances in which analgesic potency was not associated with liability to produce physical dependence of the morphine type but, unfortunately, none was currently available for practical use as an analgesic. The fully synthetic alternates all had the favourable and unfavourable characteristics of the opiates, except that at least one was available whose analgesic potency was not associated with liability to produce physical dependence of the morphine type. Some of the synthetic alternates for the relief of cough did not have significant dependence liability. In its final conclusion, the Group had been of the opinion "that natural and semi-synthetic opiates may be considered not indispensable in the practice of modern medicine". Although available synthetic alternates were useful for pain and cough relief, none was free from adverse effects. Mindful of the fact that many problems would be encountered if an effort were to be made to replace natural and semi-synthetic alternates in medical practice, the Group had not wished to express its conclusions in a more positive way.
92/ Wld Klth Org. tech. Rep. Ser.. 1972, No. 495
- 51 - 175. The Commission was of the opinion that codeine was essential for medical purposes and that there were, as yet, no adequate synthetic alternates for codeine for pain and cough relief. That was clearly indicated by the increasing consumption of codeine in recent years. It was felt that caution should be exercised in connexion with any large-scale substitution of synthetic substances for codeine. There was no doubt that further research was necessary before any final conclusions could be reached on that matter and the Commission hoped that WHO would continue its activities in the field.
176. With reference to methadone maintenance therapy in drug dependence, the question was raised of the advisability of treatment which involved the substitution of one narcotic substance for another. In that connexion, the representative of WHO affirmed that methadone was a dependence-producing drug and that its use in maintenance could not be considered as a cure. Nevertheless, he noted, it had a certain usefulness in that it produced a condition of relative stability in some narcotic-dependent persons and was relatively effective and long-acting, especially when taken by mouth. It was not used in all countries. 93/
177. The Commission was informed that programmes were being undertaken by WHO to help assure the safety and efficacy of drugs used in medical practice and that a collaborative system was in operation for the exchange of information on this subject.
178. The representative of the Secretary-General recalled the suggestion made at the previous session 94/ that the Secretariat, in collaboration with WHO, should prepare a scientific review of existing socio-medical studies on the effects of cannabis. He observed that the question of cannabis had become considerably more complicated than any problem connected with the use or abuse of other narcotics. The documentation on cannabis had increased five- or even ten-fold since the Secretariat had compiled a cannabis bibliography in 1965. The survey of the literature on cannabis was hindered by the volume and by the variation in the quality of the publications. Even the findings of the limited number of well-conducted studies applied only in their local contexts. The legal status of cannabis, the social implications of that drug, the average potency of the preparations used, law enforcement problems and other aspects had to be taken into account before interpreting conclusions.
179. It was noted that in the current literature the term "cannabis" had been used to designate variously, cannabis, cannabis resin, flowering tops, leaves and preparations without any specification. The situation was even more complicated where different uses of the term were concerned. That uncertainty persisted. In some experiments and pilot projects, the tetrahydrocannabinol content of cannabis samples was known. Although those experiments were useful for the study and evaluation of the pharmacological and physiological effects of cannabis, they seemed to be of little value for a study on the social consequences of cannabis use, because cannabis consumption had been talcing place outside the social setting.
93/ See also paras 584 to 590 below 94/ See report, twenty-fourth session, para. 223
- 52 - 130. Under the existing international control system, there was no distinction between cannabis use and abuse, and in the majority of publications there was no clear definition of the terms used to describe the degree of frequency or infrequency of use.
101. The Commission was informed that, without clearly understood and widely accepted definitions of "cannabis" and "cannabis abuse", it would seem extremely difficult to make a study of the social consequences involved. It was, however, evident that the problem in countries where cannabis was a traditional drug differed from that in countries where cannabis abuse was a recent phenomenon.
182. The direct social consequences of cannabis use could be investigated in countries where the traditional use of cannabis was still authorized, but unfortunately too few studies had been carried out on that subject.
193. There was a number of countries where the use of cannabis was prohibited, but enforcement was not effective. The scale of illicit production or trafficking was so great that the law enforcement services were unable to prevent the spread of drug abuse. In a few countries, the problem had become even more complex in that there was a conflict between cannabis control and the attitude of part of the population towards such control. That phenomenon was, however, limited to countries where cannabis had never been a "traditional" drug and its use, mainly by young people, was a recent phenomenon, so-called "marihuana" being the most frequently used form of cannabis. Some recommendations for the "decriminalization of marihuana" were the consequences of that particular situation and created discrepancies between the international and national narcotics control policy and law enforcement possibilities.
184. The representative of the Secretary-General felt that, in order to prevent the development of a permissive attitude towards drug abuse in general, it might be useful to study individual national control measures and compare then with the definitions and provisions of international treaties, before drawing any sweeping conclusions.
185. The representative of WHO informed the Commission that his organization had been involved in three important activities related to cannabis - the convening of a Scientific Group on the Use of Cannabis, support for a research study on the effects of cannabis smoke on lung tissue and the fostering of research on the effects on man of the long-term use of cannabis.
136. In presenting the report of the Scientific Group on the Use of Cannabis 95/, the representative of WHO observed that the Group had been convened to assess existing knowledge on the effects of cannabis and to indicate where further research was needed. In its discussion, the Group had stressed the necessity to take account of the frequency, amount and duration of use, as well as of the numbers of persons involved, when evaluating the effects of cannabis use.
95/ Wld Hlth Org. tech. Rep. Ser., 1971, No.478
- 53 - 187. The Group had noted that the content of psychoactive materials differed considerably from plant to plant and that different preparations of cannabis varied significantly in potency. In addition, cannabis preparations deteriorated at different rates according to conditions of storage. Such differences might well account for much or the difference in opinion concerning the effects of cannabis in man.
186. The experimental use in man of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol had produced clinical phenomena that were essentially indistinguishable from those induced by natural plant materials. The effects, which were clearly related to dosage, ranged from mild anxiety or euphoria to manifestations of acute psychotic reactions. There were also reliable reports of acute panic and other reactions following the use of quite small amounts.
189. The Group had observed that a great deal was known about cannabis, especially its immediate effects, though less was known about its long-term or delayed effects. Apart from the well-demonstrated occurrence in some persons of acute psychotic reactions immediately following even small, but usually larger, doses of cannabis, the question of the relation of various types of mental disorder to the use of cannabis was not clear.
190. It had long been accepted that cannabis was capable of producing psychic dependence, but not physical dependence, nor tolerance. After reviewing recently available studies and re-evaluating some earlier data, the Scientific Group had concluded that these concepts must be re-examined. Recent experiments had shown rapid development of tolerance in pigeons, mice and rats. It had also seemed doubtful that some long-term users could consume as much as they apparently did without having developed some degree of tolerance. A few reports had also indicated some degree of possible physical dependence and associated abstinence phenomena. Those aspects would require further study. With respect to psychic dependence, the Group had been of the opinion that many regular (almost daily) users of cannabis exhibited psychic dependence, as did some less frequent but relatively "heavy" users, whereas the great majority of people who used it a few¬ times on an experimental basis could not be said to exhibit psychic or any other dependence on cannabis.
191. With reference to research, the Scientific Group had emphasized the need for repeated minitoring of the potency of cannabis materials used in both field and laboratory investigations. It had likewise stressed the need for studies on patterns and effects of use throughout the world, as well as the need to determine what relationship there might be between long-term and relatively heavy use, and mental disorder. The existing evidence had suggested that such research should receive high priority. The Group had also discussed strategies for stimulating such investigations, including the need to foster the use of comparable criteria in epidemiological research throughout the world.
-54- 192. The Commission was informed that, since 1970, WHO had made financial grants to the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, which had carried out studies on the effects of cannabis smoke on lung tissue. Mouse and human lung tissue cultures and living mice had been exposed to smoke from marihuana, tobacco, and combinations of the two, to determine the effects of such exposure. Smoke from mixtures of tobacco and marihuana resulted in alterations in morphology and the deoxyribonucleic acid (MA) metabolism of the lung tissue cells to a larger degree than did smoke from cigarettes containing only tobacco. Changes in human lung tissue cultures following exposure to tobacco or cannabis smoke alone were comparable. Studies were in progress to determine whether marihuana smoke had pulmonary carcinogenic effects on mice. The results which had been obtained on the tissue cultures could not be taken as evidence of carcinogenicity per se.
193. It was noted that the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control had made a grant of $30,000 to WHO to undertake studies on the effects on man of the long-term use of cannabis. As a consequence of initiatives taken by WHO in that connexion, the Indian Medical Research Council had organized a seminar on that subject at New Delhi in December 1972. Among the topics examined during the seminar had been the extent of the problem of cannabis use in India, epidemiological studies of cannabis-users in India, pharmacological investigations, the effects of long-term cannabis use, research strategies, and priority issues for studies, and ways and means to implement them.
194. The seminar had been viewed as an important step towards the formulation and implementation of a definitive study of the effects of long-term cannabis use on man in that country. Steps were being taken to establish administrative machinery to facilitate collaboration in carrying out such a study.
195. The Commission considered the report of the Scientific Group and, in view of the rapid advances in research, it was suggested that WHO should make periodic assessments of scientific knowledge on the use and on the effects of cannabis. It was further suggested that an improved terminology WAS needed in connexion with that research and it was hoped that WHO would be able to develop more generally applicable psychological tests for use in the developing countries. It was also pointed out that research could be conducted into the biogenesis of active ingredients of cannabis; an attempt could be made to select varieties of plants devoid of THC or containing it only in very small quantities.
196. The Commission was informed that, in northern Sumatra, the population had been consuming cannabis with their food without any apparent ill effects, thus confirming the conclusion of the Scientific Group that cannabis was much more potent when it was smoked than when it was ingested. However, the representative of Indonesia observed that, in his country, there was a marked tendency to escalate from the use of cannabis to that of more dangerous drugs.
197. Several representatives stressed the deleterious effects of the use of cannabis, in particular those of a somatic nature. The representative of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics believed that the dangers of cannabis use, especially for young people, were beyond dispute; in his view, the Commission should on no account allow itself to be influenced by any arguments which might be advanced in favour of the "legalization" of cannabis.
- 55 - 198. The Commission expressed its appreciation of the information provided on behalf of WHO and took note of the reports of the two scientific groups. Preparations for the coming into force of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 96/
199. The Commission's attention was drawn to the fact that, at its twenty-fourth session, it had discussed the preparatory measures to be taken for the coming into force of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances. 97/ 200. As a result of those discussions, the Commission had decided that there should be a single form for annual reports submitted under both the narcotics treaties and the Convention on Psychotropic Substances. The Secretariat had been asked to prepare a draft single form for those reports and to submit it for approval at the present session of the Commission. 98/ 201. Accordingly, the Secretariat submitted a draft single form of annual reports which, if adopted by the Commission, would supersede the present questionnaire. 100/ 202. In complying with the unanimous conclusion of the Commission that model forms for the notices, notifications and declarations to be submitted by the parties to the 1971 Convention, as required by the pertinent articles of that Convention, should be prepared by the Secretariat and presented to the Commission, 101/ five model forms were submitted for the latter's consideration. 102/ 203. Following the request made by the Commission at its twenty-fourth session 105/ and in accordance with its wishes for a revision of the existing form of annual reports, 104/ the Secretariat presented to the Commission for consideration a revised and simplified form of chapter X - Abuse of drugs (Drug addiction) of the annual reports, 105/ which, if adopted, would supersede the present chapter X and would thus have to be included in the new single form of annual reports.
96/ Agenda items 4 (see E/CN.7/SR.738 and 739 (Min.)) 97/ E/CN.7/547; see also report, twenty-fourth session, paras. 370-385 98/ Ibid., para. 379 99/ E/CN.7/547/Add.1 100/ E/NR.FORM:/Rev.2, dated 21 March 1966 101/ See report, twenty-fourth session, para. 375 102/ E/CN.7/547/Add.2 103/ See report, twenty-fourth session, para. 264 104/ Ibid., paras 380 and 381 105/ E/CN.7/547/Add.3
-56- 204. In accordance with the Commission's decision at its twenty-fourth session, that revised and simplified form of chapter X had been sent with a. communication dated 20 July 1972 to the members of the Commission and to observers, to the World Health Organization and to ICPO/INTERPOL, with a request that their comments should he submitted to the Director of the Division of Narcotic Drugs not later than 16 October 1972.
205. In conformity with the Commission's wishes for a simplified form of the annual reports, the Secretarial also submitted a revised and simplified form of chapter XI - Illicit Traffic of the annual reports. 106/
206. The adoption by the Commission of the revised end simplified forms of chapter X and/or XI of the annual reports would necessarily lead to consequential changes in the form of annual reports as a whole, either by altering existing chapters or by adding new ones.
207. In presenting the material prepared by the Secretariat, the Director of the Division informed the Commission of some observations and experiences made during the preparatory work. As the existing form of annual reports had been adopted by the Commission in 1966 and as there had since been major developments in the drug control field and substantial changes in the production, manufacture, trafficking and abuse of drugs, the Secretariat believed that the Commission might wish to consider bringing the questionnaire up to date. During the consideration of the first draft for chapter X at the Commission's twenty-third session, the Secretariat had suggested that the questions concerning the traditional use of opium, coca leaf and cannabis should be removed from that chapter and that those questions should be addressed exclusively to countries where such traditional use existed (e.g. questions about the registration of opium smokers, etc.). The Secretariat felt that that principle could also be applied to other chapters (e.g. chapter IX). The draft forms presented in documents E/CN. 7/547/Add.1, Add.3 and Add.4 did not take into consideration the necessary measures to be taken for the coming into force of the 1972 Protocol Amending the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961. If the Commission decided to include those questions in a revised form of annual reports, it might wish to take into consideration the collection of statistical data by other international bodies, especially by INCB, in order to avoid any duplication of reports.
208. All representatives and observers participating in the discussion expressed their thanks and congratulations to the Division for the considerable and valuable work it had done in drafting those documents for the Commission's consideration.
106/ E/CN.7/547/Add.4
- 57 - 209. The representative of the United States of America, opening the discussion on the item, said that, after reviewing those documents, his delegation felt that some general observations were more appropriate than an item-by-item commentary. The changes suggested in document E/CN.7/547/Add.1 would add significantly to reporting requirements for Governments. It was, therefore, essential to attempt to simplify the requirements and eliminate all non-essential items not only by carefully examining the new reporting requirements imposed by article 16 of the 1971 Convention, but also by re-exainining requirements under the 1961 Convention. The Protocol Amending the 1961 Convention had also to be taken into account in reviewing the questionnaire. The Secretariat had had no instructions from the Commission to include that Protocol in its review, but its inclusion was particularly important with respect to chapter IX on raw materials, since there would be changes in the reporting requirements in that area under the 1972 Protocol. With the extra burden of reporting that would result from the entry into force of the 1971 Convention, it was essential to prevent duplication in connexion with the information to be submitted to, and correlated and analysed by, the Division and INCB. Serious thought should be given to the elimination of most of chapters IV to VI of the annual report, dealing with control of international trade, manufacture and domestic trade. The increase in reporting responsibilities pointed to the need for a more logical and useful format of annual report, as well as for more precision in the definitiion of terms and instructions designed to produce uniformity of reporting, for example, in chapter X on drug addiction, where exact statistics were especially difficult to obtain. Thought should also be given to separating the chapters of the report requiring periodic analysis by the Division, such as chapters X and XI, from the chapters dealing with information concerning the treaties (chapter I), legislative and administrative measures enacted (chapters II and III), names and addresses of export and import authorities (chapter IV, paragraph 5), and lists of substances the import and export of which was prohibited (chapter VIII). The last-mentioned information might be more useful if it was set forth on a country-by-country profile basis, was made available to all parties and brought up to date as necessary. After the initial preparation of such a document, the questionnaire would simply ask each country to bring its own list up to date.
210. For the foregoing reasons, the United States Government believed that a thorough review of the form of annual reports was essential, as the Director of the Division had also indicated. Owing to the limited time available to the Commission at the session and because further thought and consultations with technical experts were needed, the Division should be asked to undertake that review as soon as possible with the assistance of technical experts from among the Commission's members and representatives of other international agencies and organs such as INCB, WHO and ICPO/INTERPOL. A revised questionnaire could then be sent to Commission members for comment on the understanding that the Commission would be prepared to adopt a revised form of annual report at its next session. The representative of the United States of Americs was confident that the co-operation of the international organizations concerned, particularly the Board,
- 58 - would. be forthcoming and expressed the hope that such collaboration would facilitate the Division's revision of the form of annual reports. He urged the Division, the Board and WHO to increase their ability to provide assistance to Governments in improving their reporting systems.
211. In the light of his delegation's consultations with other delegations and with the Division, the representative of the United States of America suggested the following guidelines for use by the Division in drafting the revised form of annual reports; (a) the form of annual report should be a single unified form which would take into account the narcotics treaties, including the Single Convention, 1961, as emended by the 1972 Protocol, and the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971; (b) the goal of the revised form of annual report would be to elicit from Governments such information as was necessary for the Commission's performance of its functions under the treaties; (c) no question should be included in the form of annual report unless it was relevant and unless it appeared probable that the answer would be useful to the work of the Commission. It was necessary to consider whether the same or similar information had to be reported to INCB, and whether INCB was already in a position effectively to receive, analyse, report and act on such information; (d) the format of the questionnaire and the individual questions should be simplified wherever possible and be accompanied by a definition of terms and helpful instructions for its completion where appropriate; (e) on the basis of information already reported to the Division, a country-by-country profile should be prepared of essential treaty information, as indicated above. Those profiles could then be brought up to date by each Government when submitting its annual report; (f) with particular reference to chapter X (Drug Addiction), the reporting form should be designed to obtain the best available estimate of drug abuse patterns by allowing for both qualitative and quantitative data covering drug addicts and abusers and by requiring a description of the methods used to prepare the report; (g) questions of limited applicability should be addressed only to countries to which they were known to be relevant.
212. The discussion following the statement by the representative of the United States of America concentrated on two separate aspects: the procedure to be followed for a revision of the form of annual reports and the substance of the revised form. Both those aspects were commented on by all speakers participating in the debate.
213. With regard to the procedure to be followed for a revision of the form, the representatives of India and Peru expressed themselves in favour of setting up a working group during the session to enable the Commission to decide on the adoption of a revised form at the end of the session. The representative of Sweden and the observer for Ghana thought it would be helpful to establish a working group to prepare such a revised form, in co-operation with the Division, between the present session and the next. The Commission would then discuss the revised form proposed by the working group and take a decision on the matter. Both those ideas appeared to be unacceptable to the majority of Commission members, the representatives of Canada, Prance, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Yugoslavia stating that they were not generally in favour of setting up a working group on the subject.
- 59 - 214. The majority of speakers on that procedural aspect (Australia, Canada, France, Hungary, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, South Africa, Turkey, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Yugoslavia) were in favour of requesting the Secretary-General to undertake a thorough review and revision of the form with the assistance of technical experts from international agencies and organs, such as INCB, WHO and ICPO/INTERPOL. It was generally agreed that the revised form should be transmitted to the Governments of member countries and parties to the Conventions for study and comment and that the Commission, at its next session, should adopt the revised form of annual reports with such modifications and. amendments as it deemed necessary or appropriate.
215. The representatives of Canada, France, the United Kingdom and the United States of America stated that the Division should feel free to ask assistance from government experts, by correspondence or otherwise, if it considered that necessary for the purpose of drafting the revised form.
216. Where the substance of the revised form was concerned, there was unanimous agreement among speakers that there was an urgent need for a completely revised, modernized and, above all, simplified form of annual reports to facilitate the task of Governments in complying with their treaty obligations and to provide the Commission with better information to carry out its functions efficiently.
217. Regarding the various substantive aspects of the revised form, the representatives of Australia, Prance, Jamaica, Mexico, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom and Yugoslavia and the observers for Ghana and Italy supported, wholly or partly, the guidelines proposed by the representative of the United States and they and other delegations proposed additional guidelines to the Division.
218. The representatives of Hungary and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics said they doubted whether the new form should be a single form covering both narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, as the Commission had decided at its twenty-fourth session. In view of the differences in the nature of the controls applied to narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, a single form could result in confusion and in extensive correspondence to clarify points. Further thought should be given to that question, as the representative of the United Kingdom pointed out. The representative of Prance suggested that, if the Division considered it necessary and appropriate, both a single form and two separate forms for narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances should be prepared as models. Though his delegation was in principle in favour of a single unified form, the representative of the United States agreed that that idea should be considered should such unification not prove feasible. It was understood that the Division would study the question carefully and choose whatever solution it considered most appropriate, talcing into account the comments made by Commission members on the matter and the decision taken by the Commission at its twenty-fourth session in favour of a single form.
219. Several representatives and observers (Mexico, Peru, South Africa, Sweden, Turkey and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) stressed that the revised form should include only questions which were really relevant and important to the Commission' s work. In particular, all questions which applied only to a few countries, which were not of general concern or which it was difficult to answer satisfactorily should be omitted.
- 60 - 220. It was understood that the same idea would be applied as far as possible to the earlier treeaties on narcotic drugs which had been superseded by the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the basic aim of which was to unify and simpalify the international control system, as was -pointed out "by the representatives of Mexico and Sweden.
221. In order to ensure that uniform, comparable and reliable information was furnished by Governments on the basis of the revised form, there was a need for precise and unequivocal definitions to be given in the form, as was stressed by the representatives of Sweden, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom and Yugoslavia and by the observer for Italy. The representative of France, however, pointed out that since precise definitions were given in the treaties, no other definitions could be given but there was no reason why those definitions should not be explained in footnotes to the questions in the revised form.
222. Having regard to the revision of the form to be carried out by the Division, some delegations made comments on various details of the documents submitted by the Division for consideration at the session, requesting that they should be taken into account in the preparation of the new form.
223. The representative of Prance suggested the deletion of paragraphs 7 and. 7+ in document E/CN.7/547/Add. 1 and. of sub-paragraphs (b) and (c) of paragraph 42 of annex I in document E/CN.7/547/Add.2.
224. The representative of the USSR pointed out that the provision in sub-paragraph (a) of the Note by the Secretary-General on page 1 of document E/CN.7/547/Add.1 was at variance with the United Nations Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples (General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960) proclaiming the necessity "of bringing to a speedy and unconditional end colorialism in all its forms and manifestations".
225. The representative of Hungary, referring to the footnote in annex III of document E/CN.7/547/Add.1, suggested the there should be a separate model form for psychotropic substances.
226. With reference to document E/CN.7/547/Add. 3, the observer for Italy stated that the drafting might give rise to difficulties owing to the lack of a clear definition of the terms "drug addiction" and "drug addict" and of a clear distinction between "drug addicts" and "drug abusers". Furthermore, the data required for certain substances (barbiburates, sedatives and tranquillizers) in Schedules III end IV of the 1971 Convention could not be supplied by his country, because the only restriction imposed upon sale of those substances in Italy was the obligation to present a medical prescription. Except for cases of chronic intoxication, generally resulting from drug therapy, doctors in Italy were not required to report cases which came to their notice accidentally or in the exercise of their profession.
- 61 - 227. The representative of Mexico, commenting on paragraph 49 ter of document E/CE.7/547/Add.1, said that, in his delegation's opinion, the provision in sub-paragraph (a) was inadmissible. As to the question in sub-paragraph (j) relating to the exchange of operational information, his delegation considered that such information could be exchanged direct only among law enforcement services by way of reciprocal police assistance, but not among the courts of States, which traditionally communicated with each other through the diplomatic channel by letters requisitorial and letters rogatory.
220. The representative of Peru thought it was incorrect to speak of "drug addict paraphernalia" (E/CN.7/547/Add.1, annex I, para. 12), because such paraphernalia were rarely found on the premises of a clandestine laboratory. He also considered that the requirement of three photographs (annex I, para. 18) was excessive and should be deleted. In his view, the term "cocaine" in paragraph 43 of annex I in document E/CN.7/547/Add.4 was too general, and a distinction should be drawn between cocaine chlorhydrate and cocaine sulphate, on the one hand, and cocaine base, on the other.
229. The representative of Yugoslavia suggested that questions like those in paragraphs 42(b)(i) and (iii) of document E/CN.7/547/Add.4, annex I, should be deleted because they were difficult to answer.
230. At the end of the discussion on the revised form of annual reports, the Commission, which took note of the documents presented to it oy the Division under the item, was in general agreement that a new form should be drafted by the Division according to the procedure outlined above and that the Division should take into account all the general and specific comments made and the guidelines given by members of the Commission in carrying out the work with which the Commission had entrusted it.
231. The representative of Australia, referring to the entry into force of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971, which he hoped would not be long delayed, drew the Commission's attention to the fact that the controls provided for in that Convention could not be effective because the Schedules listing the substances subject to control were defective in that they did not include the salts and esters of the substances listed. His Government therefore had serious doubts regarding the real extent of control that could be exercised under that Convention. Whereas, for example, amphetamine itself, which was not used in the pharmaceutical industry, was covered by Schedule II of the Convention, amphetamine resinate which was in fact used in the industry, was not subject to control under the Convention. The same applied to most of the substances listed in the schedules of that Convention, and as a result the envisaged control functions were incomplete. Though he was well aware that the Schedules of the 1971 Convention could not be amended prior to its entry into force, because of his Government's concern regarding that serious situation, he felt compelled to draw it to the Commission's attention so that appropriate measures could be planned by the competent international authorities to facilitate immediate action by the Commission as soon as the 1971 Convention had come into force.
- 62 - 252. Supporting the Australian statement, the representative of Canada suggested that the World Health Organization, as the competent authority, should be requested to proceed with the preliminary work as soon as possible and to notify the Secretary-General in good time of the amendments to be made to the 1971 Convention in accordance with article 2 of that instrument, so that a decision could be taken by the Commission at the first session following the entry into force of the Convention.
233. The representative of the World Health Organization informed the Commission that WHO, which was well aware of that situation, was already studying the various questions involved and would be ready to collaborate in working out the necessary additions to the Schedules.
- 63 -
CHAPTER III SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH 107/
234. The Commission noted the progress made in the United Nations research programmes, as outlined in the report of the Division of Narcotic Drugs. 108/ Supplementary information was provided by the representative of the Secretary-General.
235. International collaboration in those programmes had been broadened during the period under review and further scientists had been nominated by the Governments of Belgium, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom to participate in the research.
236. Governments had continued to provide the Secretariat with the basic research material for the programmes. Many samples of cannabis had been received, both from experimental cultivations and from seizures. Cannabis seeds had been made available for ecological studies. Samples of opium had also been received. The United Nations Laboratory had furnished collaborating scientists with the samples needed for their research. As in the past, it had prepared reference samples of cannabis which would be used in laboratories for comparative purposes. Tetrahydrocannabinol had been received from the National Institute of Mental Health of the United States of America and had been made available, on request, to collaborating scientists.
237. During recent years, collaborating scientists had shown a particular interest in the cannabis programme and important investigations were being carried out in many countries in connexion with various aspects of the research, particularly on the chemistry of the components of cannabis (and on the possible changes occurring in them as a result of the high temperatures attained during the smoking process) and on the determination of the active principles. In some laboratories, studies were being made of the effects of cannabis components on the body and on their metabolic fate. Research was also being carried out on the development of tests for the detection of cannabis users.
238. It was noted that the chemistry of cannabis was far more complex than had previously been supposed. It had been believed in the past that the chief components of cannabis were a few substances, mainly the cannabinoids, of which only tetrahydrocannabinol was the active principle. There was, however, now evidence that cannabis contained a very large number of substances, at least fifty. The great majority of those substances had still to be isolated and characterized and their pharmacological activity (or inactivity) remained to be determined. It had nevertheless been established that certain samples of cannabis had appreciable pharmacological activity, although little or no tetrahydrocannabinol was present.
107/ Agenda item 3(i) (see E/CN.7/SR.727(Min.))
108/ E/CN.7/549, paras. 54-65; E/CN.7/549/Add.1, paras. 27-31
-65- 239. At a previous session of the Commission,109/ it had "been mentioned that there were indications of the presence in cannabis of nitrogen-containing substances of an alkaloidal nature. In that connexion, it had very recently been reported in the Netherlands that cannabis contained indolic compounds. Those findings were highly significant because many potent hallucinogens were either closely related structurally to, or actually possess, the indole grouping. The same research team had also found that, during the smoking process, an inactive component of cannabis was transformed into other substances, some of which appeared to have pscychotropic activity.
240. The representative of Canada and the observer for Spain described the research on cannabis which was being carried out in their respective countries.
241. For a number of years, the United Nations Laboratory had been engaged in research on cannabis and, in accordance with the wishes of the Commission, 110/ a high priority had been given to that project. Attention had been concentrated on those aspects of the research which could be less easily carried out by national laboratories. In that connexion, the Laboratory's most important function had been to co-ordinate, as required and as far as possible, the research being carried out in various countries, particularly in order to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort.
242. The Laboratory had carried out research on the application of thin-layer and gas chromatography techniques to the study of cannabis components. Investigations were also being made in order to determine the effects of aging on the chemical composition of cannabis. The study of variations in the amount and potency of cannabis resin according to ecological conditions was continuing and, in that connexion, the Laboratory had arranged for the experimental cultivation of cannabis seeds from the same batches, under carefully controlled conditions, in various climatic regions. Some of the preliminary findings in that study were of interest and it had been reported that cannabis cultivated in Norway and Iceland from seeds of South African origin had contained appreciable amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol.
245. In view of those results, the opinion was expressed in the Commission that greater concern should be shown with regard to the illicit cultivation of cannabis in temperate climates.
244. The Commission was informed that, during their stay at the United Nations Laboratory, fellows from Mauritius and Sri Lanka had carried out useful research related to problems of drug abuse peculiar to their respective countries. In Mauritius, cannabis was extracted with alcohol, such as brandy or other spirits, the extract being subsequently added to wine. In Sri Lanka, a beverage was prepared by boiling cannabis with milk. Methods had therefore been developed for the detection of cannabis components in wine and in milk.
109/ See report, twenty-third session, para. 65
110/ Report, twentieth session, paras. 284 and 424 (see also E/CN.7/SR.538)
- 66 - 245. The suggestion was made that the Bulletin on Narcotics should from time to time publish reports on the work of the United Nations Laboratory. It was also suggested that research might be conducted on the biogenesis of the active components of cannabis.
246. It was hoped that the Secretariat would be able to obtain further information about new forms of cannabis (such as the so-called "cannabis oil") which were now being found in the illicit traffic.
247. It was noted that the Chief of the United Nations Laboratory had recently been invited to appear, 111/ as a scientific witness on cannabis, at a hearing of the United States Senate Sub-Committee on Internal Security and that he had stated on that occasion that as progressively more scientific facts were discovered about cannabis, the more one became aware of its potential dangers. However, considerable research was still necessary in order to obtain an adequate understanding of the nature and effects of that complex plant.
248. Reference was made to two important symposia. One, on the chemistry and biological activity of cannabis, had taken place at Stockholm in October 1971 under the auspices of the Swedish Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences, while the other, sponsored by the Institute for the Study of Drug Dependence, had been held in London in May 1972 and had been devoted to the pharmacology and experimental psychology of cannabis.
249. The Commission stressed the importance of international collaboration in the field of cannabis research and it was recalled that, at its twenty-second 112/ and twenty-third 113/ sessions, several representatives had recommended that an international symposium on cannabis should be held by the United Nations. It was suggested that a suitable time for such a meeting might be within the next year or two.
250. As in previous years, technical assistance in the form of training had been provided by the United Nations Laboratory, which, during the period under review, had received twenty-one fellows coming from the Democratic Yemen, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran, Ivory Coast, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Mauritius, Niger, Pakistan, Philippines, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Togo, Venezuela and Yemen. Training had also been provided for a scientist from the Syrian Arab Republic who had been awarded a fellowship by WHO.
111/ With the approval of the Secretary-General
112/ Report, twenty-second session, para.77
113/ Report, twenty-third session, para.69
- 67 - 251. It was noted that the respective national authorities had selected excellent candidates for those fellowships and that all the fellows had worked hard and studied seriously during their stay at the Laboratory. It was further noted that they had made study visits to other laboratories and scientific institutions in Europe.
252. There was general agreement that the training fellowships had been of considerable value to staff members of national laboratories concerned with the analysis of drugs of abuse.
253. The Commission was informed that training facilities for fellows had also been made available by the Governments of Spain and the United States of America.
254. Several representatives indicated their appreciation of the fellowships awarded to scientists from their respective countries.
255. The Laboratory had continued its investigations on tests for the identification of drugs of abuse. It was noted that important research had been carried out in several countries on the development of identification tests which would be suitable for use by enforcement officers. The Commission learned that the Laboratory would intensify its research in that field during 1973 with the financial support of the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control, and that it would collaborate closely with interested national authorities, as had been recommended by the Commission at its twenty-third 114/ session.
256. It was felt that the Laboratory was making a significant contribution to the fight against the illicit traffic by providing national laboratories with reference samples of drugs of abuse, which were otherwise often difficult to obtain. In that connexion, the Commission noted that the Laboratory's reference collection of narcotic and psychotropic substances had now been considerably extended.
257. The Laboratory's extensive collection of scientific literature on narcotic and psychotropic substances, together with the system for the rapid retrieval of information, had continued to be of great value in research and in the training of TAA fellows. It had also greatly facilitated the provision of scientific and technical information, for which a large number of requests had been received during the period under review.
258. The Commission considered recent developments in research on Papaver bracteatum, a species of poppy producing thebaine which, by a chemical process, can be converted into codeine.
259. It was noted that codeine was mostly derived, by the process of methylation, from the morphine obtained from the opium poppy and that about 90 per cent of legally produced morphine was converted into codeine. It was, however, further
114/ E/CN.7/SE.638
- 68 - noted that, with the general decrease in the production of opium and the expansion of medical care throughout the world, a shortage of codeine could occur which might create a serious problem. It would be desirable to find other sources for the production of codeine, and one such source might be P. bracteatum, which was claimed to be rich in thebaine.
260. The Chief of the Laboratory had visited Iran and Turkey for an exchange of information on this subject and, with the financial support of the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control, a working group of experts on P. bracteatum had been convened at Geneva in December 1972. The working group had reviewed present knowledge of this poppy and had prepared guidelines for future research, with particular reference to 1973.
261. In its report115/ the working group had indicated that that first international discussion on P. bracteatum had shown that the plant had considerable potentialities as a source of thebaine, from which codeine and other important substances, such as oxycodone, bydrocodone and naloxone, could be derived. It had, however, been obvious that insufficient scientific information was available.
262. The working group had therefore recommended that a collaborative study should be carried out to investigate the effect of environment on the thebaine content of the plant. Experimental cultivation would therefore be carried out in various countries and, for that purpose, the United Nations Laboratory would distribute the seeds which would be made available by the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Teheran.
263. Research would also be carried out to establish suitable practical methods for the determination of thebaine and the working group had suggested that investigations should also be made in connexion with the chemical composition of the oil and seeds from P. bracteatum.
264. The working group had considered that a rapid accumulation of scientific data might enable early use to be made of this new source of valuable therapeutic substances. Such data would also enable a study to be made of possible problems associated with the use of P. bracteatum.
265. It was noted that thebaine itself was not a drug liable to abuse but that it had been included in Schedule I of the 1961 Convention because it could be converted into other drugs, such as bydrocodone and oxycodone.
266. Considerable interest was expressed by several representatives in the research on P. bracteatum.
115/ ST/SOA/SER.J/1
-69- 267. The representative of the United States of America suggested that the results obtained in the studies on P. bracteatum should be carefully reviewed and evaluated, both from the scientific and law enforcement aspects, before any recommendations were made in connexion with the cultivation of that species. He therefore cautioned against any extended use of P. bracteatum before the necessary research had been completed.
268. The Commission was informed that the International Arab Narcotics Bureau of the League of Arab States and the Forensic Medicine Administration of the Ministry of Justice of Egypt had generously offered to provide facilities at Cairo for the research on the chemical composition of khat (Catha edulis Forsk) which had been recommended at the twenty-fourth session 116/.
269. The Commission expressed its appreciation of the substantial progress achieved in the scientific research programmes and of the work which had been accomplished by the United Nations Laboratory during the period under review.
116/ Report, twenty-fourth session, para.82
-70- CHAPTER IV
PUBLICATIONS OF THE DIVISION OP NARCOTIC DRUGS
Bulletin on Narcotics 117/
270. The Commission noted that the four numbers comprising volume XXIV of the Bulletin on Narcotics, published in 1972, had covered the main aspects of international and national narcotics control. Considerable space had been devoted to local aspects of drug abuse in different parts of the world, to national measures applied to combat it and, where appropriate, to an evaluation of the effectiveness of those measures in the light of the experience gained. Articles had been published examining the changing cultural patterns in societies which had had little experience of the main drugs of abuse. Since cannabis was in the foreground of attention, several articles had been published on the subject. Some material on psychotropic substances had also been included.
271. As in the past, the Bulletin had reported on sessions of the main United Nations organs which had dealt with drugs, as well as on the work of some scientific groups on the subject. In order to reflect an important international development in the field of narcotics control, it had published the text of the 1972 Protocol Amending the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961.
272. The publication of an annual bibliography in the Bulletin had been discontinued, since it was considered that it would overlap with the newly created abstract journal Drug Dependence, published by the Excerpta Medica Foundation of Amsterdam and financed by the Government of the Netherlands as a contribution to the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control. In that respect, a number of delegations pointed out that the possibility should be considered of resuming the publication of an annual bibliography in all languages for the benefit of subscribers to the Bulletin.
273. The Bulletin on Narcotics is printed in English and French and includes an annual index. Spanish and Russian editions appear in offset and contain selected articles. An annual summary of articles is published in Chinese. On the occasion of its twenty-fifth year, the format of the Bulletin has been changed to suit present- day standards. The Commission was given, as an example, the run of the second issue of volume XXIV, namely: 3045 copies in English; 860 copies in French; 260 copies in Spanish; and 160 copies in Russian.
274. As one of the recurrent publications of the United Nations, the Bulletin was examined in a report of the Joint Inspection Unit, which expressed some criticism of its content and value. The Co-ordination Committee of the Economic and Social Council decided to invite the Commission on Narcotic Drugs to comment on those
117/ Agenda item 3; E/CN.7/549, paras. 100-107 and E/CN.7/549/Add.1, para. 41 ( see E/CN. 7/SR. 725 (Min.) )
- 71 - observations. A number of representatives and observers expressed surprise at the criticism and reaffirmed their interest in and support for the Bulletin. It was pointed out that, over the years, the publication had acquired a firm position as a working tool in national administrations and was to be considered as an organ of the Commission and other United Nations bodies working in the field.
275. The Commission, however, made several suggestions for widening the range of subjects covered by the Bulletin by including articles on socio-medical and socio¬ legal questions, behaviour studies, cultural and cross-cultural studies and the evaluation of methodologies, and by increasing its reporting on seminars and conferences on the various aspects of drug abuse in order to help responsible bodies to keep informed on developments and thus promote international understanding and co-operation. The wish was also expressed that the circulation of the Bulletin. should be increased, particularly that of the Spanish edition, and that all editions should contain articles on a variety of subjects. Some proposals were made for a change in its title to take the subject of psychotropic substances into account, but the Commission felt that such a move should be very carefully considered. It concluded its consideration of the subject by stressing again its appreciation of the Bulletin. Accordingly, a draft resolution in support of that publication submitted by Argentina, Egypt, France, Federal Republic of Germany and Yugoslavia was adopted lay 28 votes to none, with no abstentions. The resolution reads as follows:
Resolution 5 (XXV): Bulletin on Narcotics
The Commission on Narcotic Drugs,
Having regard to the report of the Joint Inspection Unit on the programme of periodical publications of the United Nations,
Considering the request of the Co-ordination Committee of the Economic and Social Council inviting the Commission to comment on the observations regarding the Bulletin on Narcotics.
Recalling the resolution adopted by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs at its tenth session in which, inter alia, it requested the Economic and Social Council to invite the Secretary-General to take the necessary measures to maintain the publication of the Bulletin at four issues per year,
Considering that the Bulletin, which is published in several languages, is unquestionably useful and even indispensable not only to government departments but also to medical and social experts on addiction to narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances,
Considering that, owing to the steadily increasing gravity of the problem of drug abuse, it is essential that information which is as complete and as authoritative as possible should be published,
Considering that it would be desirable to include new subjects, such as social sciences, in the Bulletin on Narcotics,
- 72 - Considering, in agreement with the report of the Joint Inspection Unit, that the Bulletin should receive more attention and support than is at present the case,
Considering that virtually the entire cost of printing the Bulletin is covered by receipts from sales,
1. Confirms the importance that it attaches to the Bulletin on Narcotics;
2. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure this publication the widest appropriate circulation and to consider ways and means of extending the range of subjects dealt with on the abuse of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
Information Letter118/
276. The Commission recalled that, in 1971, the Secretariat had introduced a new Information Letter as part of the programme of information and education on the drug problem. Its publication was being financed by the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control, the allotment for 1975 being $15,200. This monthly Letter was sent to the members of the Commission and to other recipients with responsibilities in the field of drug control or with a special professional interest in problems related to it. It was published in English, French and Spanish.
277. Apart from conveying general information on the drug problem, the Information Letter reported on meetings, seminars and conferences throughout the world which, having been convened by organizations that were not on the roster of international organizations, were not covered in the report of the Division of Narcotic Drugs. The Information Letter was particularly useful in that respect.
278. The majority of the Commission noted that the Information Letter was extremely useful in providing general information on aspects of drug abuse. It constituted a valuable means of continuing education in this field.
279. The majority of members of the Commission expressed satisfaction at the wise use made of the resources available to the Fund in the implementation of this project. They welcomed the fact that a complete revision of the nailing list for the Information Letter had been carried out. Its distribution now covered only seriously interested persons or organizations, and the number of recipients had been reduced to 9000.
280. While the importance was emphasized of a wider distribution of the Information Letter within the limits of the funds allotted to the project, the Commission thought it desirable to keep the mailing list under continuing review in order to ensure that the Letter was sent only to persons professionally interested in the drug problem.
281. It was stated on behalf of the Director of the Division of Narcotic Drugs that the personal information letters, restricted to members of the Commission and the International Narcotics Control Board, had not been forwarded in 1972 for reasons of economy.
118/ E/CN.7/549, paras. 108-112; E/CN.7/549-Add.1, para. 42 (see E/CN.7/SR.725(Min.)) - 73 -
CHAPTER V TECHNICAL CO-OPERATION IN NARCOTICS CONTROL
Finance
282. The Commission considered a review of the technical co-operation organized by the Division during the years 1971 and 1972. 119/
283. The Commission noted that, as an economy measure, the sum allotted for technical co-operation under the United Nations regular programme of technical co-operation had been reduced from $100,000 to $25,000 in 1972. In the opinion of some members, that was a retrograde step, especially at a time when there was a greater need than ever before for technical co-operation in narcotics control. The majority of delegations considered that regular activities carried on by the United Nations should be financed from its regular budget and that funds from the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control should be used to supplement rather than replace those made available under the regular programme of technical co-operation.
Fellowships
284. In 1971 fifty-three training fellowships were awarded to officials from thirty-two Governments, as follows:
Administration (5) Chile, Congo, Greece, Honduras, Laos Treatment of drug addiction (2) Hong Kong (2) (financed by UNDP/TA) Fruit tree cultivation (1) Thailand Laboratory techniques (11) Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras, Iran, Ivory Coast (2), Lebanon, Niger, Pakistan, Philippines, Somalia Law enforcement (35) Bolivia (4), Democratic Yemen, Ecuador (2), Egypt (4), Indonesia (2), Iran, Ivory Coast, Kenya. (2), Lebanon, Liberia, Malaysia, Mali, Pakistan (2), Philippines (3), Republic of Korea, Senegal, Singapore, Syrian Arab Republic, Togo, Yemen, Yugoslavia Training in use of scenting (1) Yugoslavia. dogs
285. The fellowships in laboratory techniques were all tenable at the United Nations Laboratory. Five of the fellowships in law enforcement were awarded for attendance at the Division's Central Training Unit. All other fellows took part in individual programmes designed to meet their particular needs.
119/ E/CN.7/549 and Add.1, chapter VIII
- 75 - 286. In 1972, the whole of the sum of $25,000 available from the regular programme was allocated for the award of fellowships, as follows: Laboratory techniques (7) Dominican Republic, Indonesia (2), Kuwait, Mauritius, Togo, Venezuela. One for Sri Lanka was financed by UNDP/TA; Law enforcement (5) Ethiopia, Ghana, Libya, Nigeria, Philippines. One for Iran was financed by UNDP/TA.
Missions
287. A regional training and consultative mission to Vest Africa visited Sierre Leone, Liberia, Ghana and Nigeria in March 1971. It consisted of two staff members of the Division, a member of the secretariat of INCE and an official of ICPO/INTERPOL who, in all, addressed meetings of about 300 people.
288. In each country talks were given on the effects and identification of drugs of abuse, the international control treaties, illicit traffic, the application of methods for the collection of information by law enforcement services combating the illicit traffic, drug abuse and the social reintegration of drug abusers, United Nations technical co-operation in the field of drug abuse control, and international co-operation between Governments. The mission observed that the control of psychotropic substances could be effective only where Governments possessed adequate pharmaceutical services, but emphasized the need for co-operation between different ministries to combat drug abuse and between the countries of the region to suppress illicit traffic.
289. A similar mission to four countries in South America was first postponed and later cancelled owing to the reduction in the funds available under the regular programme of technical co-operation.
290. A staff member of the Division visited Singapore, Malaysia and Sri Lanka in June and July 1971 at the request of the Governments of those countries in order to advise them on suitable organizations and administrative arrangements for improved control of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
Resident advisory services 291. A new general narcotics adviser took up his duties in Teheran in May 1971 and, at the request of the Iranian Government, the project has been extended to May 1973. An adviser on rehabilitation and social reintegration was on mission in Iran from March to May 1971, and it is proposed that he should resume his mission. The outposting of an officer of the Division to Bangkok was continued throughout 1971 and 1972.
Film library
292. The Division's film library now includes 53 films, which are in constant demand for information and training purposes by Governments and other organizations.
* * * 293. In commenting upon these activities, members of the Commission and observers emphasized the valuable help which had been given by means of the award of fellowships and the dispatch of missions. Their effects were to be seen in the continuing daily work of the participants and fellows.
-76 - CHAPTER VI
OPERATIONS UNDERTAKEN BY THE DIVISION AND FINANCED BY THE FUND FOR DRUG ABUSE CONTROL
294. The Commission considered a review of the technical co-operation 120/ organized by the Division during the years 1971 and 1972 with the assistance of funds provided by the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control, and examined the individual projects 121/ which had been carried out by the Division during that period as part of the programme of operations undertaken by the Fund.
295. It noted that a consultative mission consisting of three members of the Division of Narcotic Drugs had visited Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Yugoslavia for a week each in November-December, 1971, as part of a project financed by the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control. The aims of the mission were:
(i) To establish liaison between the responsible officers in the four Governments and the United Nations Division of Narcotic Drugs on subjects related to the technicalities of the illicit traffic and control measures in general;
(ii) To obtain more detailed information than was provided in the annual reports of Governments on the situation regarding the illicit traffic in the area, and on possible development of drug abuse;
(iii) To provide information regarding documentation and other material available to Governments from the Division;
(iv) To give lectures to, and hold discussions with, larger groups of officials concerned with measures of control; and
(v) To explore the possibilities of increased international co-operation in Europe in order to suppress more effectively the transport of drugs of abuse.
296. In each country interviews were granted to the mission by Ministers; detailed discussions were held with senior officials, and lectures were given to a total of 800 government officials concerned with the control of drugs, brought together from all parts of the four countries. It is hoped that the United Nations will be able to arrange for a similar mission to visit other countries affected by this route for illicit traffic and to work out the practical details of a co-ordinated scheme to combat drug traffic through the region.
120/ E/CN.7/549 and Add.1 121/ MNAR/10/72
77 - 297. Following a visit to Thailand, a staff member of the Division visited Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines and Singapore in March and April 1972 in order to consult the Governments of those countries about their needs for technical assistance under the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control.
Central Training Unit
298. The Central Training Unit of the Division of Narcotic Drugs was established with the aid of an allocation from the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control and instituted its first training course on 10 April 1972, when thirteen fellows started a four-week course of study. All participants were police or Customs officers directly interested in one way or another in the prevention of illicit trafficking in drugs of abuse.
The course of the study included:
(i) The problems created by drug addiction and drug abuse, including illicit trafficking;
(ii) International and national policies, procedures and organizations for the control of drug abuse; and
(iii) Investigative techniques for use by law enforcement officers.
299. Three weeks were spent at Geneva, during which visits were made to the police of the Canton of Geneva and the Customs administration of the Swiss Confederation. The course concluded with a week in Paris, which was divided between the General Secretariat of ICPO/INTERPOL and the French National Police under arrangements made by the Secretary-General of ICPO/INTERPOL.
300. Three further similar courses were held during the year in Geneva and Paris. In addition, two members of the Central Training Unit, in conjunction with the United Nations general narcotics adviser in Iran, held a training course in Teheran for about sixty Iranian Customs officers during two weeks in July-August 1972. It had been intended to hold a course for Spanish-speaking law enforcement officials late in the year, but that course had to be postponed owing to a lack of funds for the award of the necessary fellowships.
Fellowships
301. In addition to the five fellowships awarded under the 1971 regular programme for study in the Central Training Unit, 122/ a further fifty-eight fellowships were awarded for the same purpose, as follows:
Course No. 1 (4) Ethiopia (2), Liberia, Nigeria
Course No. 2 (18) Indonesia (3), Malaysia (6), Philippines (4), Republic of Korea, Singapore (2), Thailand (2)
122/ See para. 285 above.
- 78 - Course No. 4 (l6) Bahrain, Cyprus (2), Greece (3), Iraq (2), Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon (2), Sri Lanka (4)
Course Ho. 5 (12) Algeria (2), Central African Republic, Congo, Ivory Coast (2), Khmer Republic (2), Mali, Niger, Senegal, Tunisia.
302. In addition, two fellowships were awarded to Bulgarian Customs officials to enable them to study comparative Customs procedures for preventing and detecting the smuggling of narcotic drugs.
303. At the end of 1972 forty-six nominations for fellowships were awaiting acceptance, 33 in law enforcement, 5 in laboratory techniques, 5 in drug administration and 3 in other fields of control. The number of fellowships awarded was limited by the availability of funds.
Programme of operations
304. The Commission noted that the programme of operations had been framed in accordance with the resolution adopted by the Commission on 2 October 1970 at its second special session 123/. Planning had started in 1971, when a total of 160 projects with an estimated cost of approximately $95 million had been brought together in the Plan for Concerted Action against Drug Abuse. At the request of the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control and as a result of discussion with the specialized agencies and other organizations, a new and smaller list of projects had been produced in 1972 with a view to making the greatest possible impact on the problem of drug abuse within the limits of the resources that might reasonably be expected to become available. The lists of projects, both of those approved and of those presented for approval, were considered by the Commission. 124/
305. Twenty-eight projects were now approved and in operation, fifteen of which the Division was responsible for executing; a further seven would be started in 1973. The Division's main new experience had been gained in connexion with the Thailand programme, which led it to the conclusion that the technical problems concerned with crop substitution were in many respects not probably so intractable as had previously been thought. While no one crop could replace opium and any changes in the pattern of cultivation and production would necessarily have to be adapted to the general rural development of the region, it had been demonstrated that the peasants were quite ready to change to other sources of income than opium and would respond to appropriate incentives. A programme of that nature would, however, necessarily require larger sums of money than were available at present. Without them, the present projects would not yield adequate results.
123/ See report, second special session, chapter V 124/ MNAR/10/72 and MNAR/11/72
- 79 - 306. In commenting upon individual projects, members of the Commission expressed the hope that progress would he made with the distribution of information and advice regarding kits for the rapid preliminary identification of suspect drugs and substances by law enforcement services and with the production of an Arabic version of the ICPO/INTERPOL audio-visual material for the training of police and Customs personnel. The representative of the International Arab Narcotics Bureau of the League of Arab States asked for consideration to be given to the production of a guide to technical and scientific aids for the investigation and detection of drug trafficking and smuggling offences. The observer for Ghana fully supported the intention of INCB to hold seminars and undertake other means of assisting Governments in reporting information on drug abuse. The representative of Egypt stated that his Government had offered to provide at Cairo all the necessary scientific facilities for the project on research into the chemistry of khat. and was ready to give other help, if requested. He also commended the idea of mobile training teams.
Country programmes
307. A joint United Nations/FAO mission had very recently visited Burma and had had frank and sincere discussions with senior government officials about the offer of United Nations assistance to the Government in its efforts in the field of drug abuse control. The Government considered that the opium problem was both a national and an international problem, but had not yet reached a decision on the proposals submitted to it. It nevertheless had a very positive attitude towards co-operation with the United Nations. Discussions with Lebanon in regard to cannabis production were at an advanced stage, and a report containing detailed proposals for further action had just been submitted to the Government of Afghanistan.
308. The representative of Thailand stated that the crop replacement and community development project under the United Nations/Thailand programme had been fully operational since December 1972, and his Government fully intended to bring the problem of opium production under control. The representative of Lebanon, reviewing the measures taken by his Government since 1966 to eliminate the production of cannabis resin, said that although those measures had been strenuously pursued and had entailed heavy expenditure, they had proved inadequate. His Government now wished the United Nations to approve and implement the United Hations/FAO report setting out a proposed project of assistance to Lebanon, and also to make available the sum of $2 million for a rural development programme in the Baalbek-Hermel area that had already been drawn up.
309. The representative of FAO pointed out that only limited funds could be provided for a project in Lebanon and that the task of the United Nations/FAO mission had been to ascertain how a limited sum could most usefully be spent. He recalled that the World Food Programme was prepared to supply aid worth $2 million in support of an UNFDAC-financed project and that that would provide invaluable help in promoting livestock raising as an alternative to the production of cannabis resin. In addition, the services of specialists already working in the area in other fields could be utilized for a project at little extra cost.
- 80 - 310. The Director of the Division of Narcotic Drugs made a statement in which he alluded to the programme for drug abuse control in Thailand and the project for cannabis replacement in Lebanon; he also mentioned the preparation of integrated programmes for drug abuse control in Afghanistan and Burma (subject to the approval of the Governments of those countries). He wished to inform the Commission that, as Director of the Division, he had had discussions with the Governments of those countries in order to make it clear that such negotiations did not involve the assumption of any formal obligation towards them. The mere fact of engaging in discussions with Governments might, however, raise their hopes and create a moral obligation for the United Nations to follow up discussions with practical measures of assistance. Recalling that, in the past, exploratory visits from the Division had been interpreted as implying a commitment to furnish aid, he said that such disappointments were not conducive to improved international relations in the narcotics field. The Division was eager to continue preparatory work with a view to possible future assistance on a number of carefully selected projects. However, in doing so, the Division, and the Commission as well, faced a dilemma; while preparatory work had to be done in order to determine how the United Nations could best serve Governments, very limited resources were at present available for carrying out any operation arising from this preparatory work. He had felt bound to bring that serious state of affairs to the Commission's notice, as it could only be resolved if more funds were made available by Governments and other donors.
- 81 -
CHAPTER VII
UNITED NATIONS FUND FOR DRUG ABUSE CONTROL (UNFDAC)125/
311. The Personal Representative of the Secretary-General reviewed the progress of the Fund, summarized the status of contributions and emphasized the urgent need for additional contributions to finance projects which were ready to he implemented. His statement is reproduced in its entirety in annex III. He referred to the original Plan for Concerted Action and its estimate of a need for roughly $95 million over a period of five years. While still convinced that action on that scale would be recuired, the Fund had found it necessary to set its provisional aims somewhat lower and to draft a programme which, on the one hand, would meet the most urgent needs for action, and, on the other, would correspond to a realistic estimate of the resources that would he available during the first few years. That programme, which was the result of new proposals developed during the past year and of several revisions of the first Plan, consisted of 69 projects, whose estimated cost up to the end of 1976 was approximately $22.5 million. The Fund had been seriously constrained in developing new projects by the shortage of resources. While it should he actively working in a number of countries with narcotics problems, such as Bolivia, Laos, Morocco, Nepal, Peru and the Republic of Viet-Nam, it would he unwise to stimulate new project proposals which could not he adequately dealt with owing to lack of funds and which would thus remain pending for long periods. The Fund planned to offer assistance to those countries and to others when it could realistically foresee a practical possibility of doing so.
312. The pledges of 21 Governments and some private contributions had brought the Fund's present resources up to a total of $4,544,275, and it kad been enabled to put into operation 33 projects at a total cost of $4,515,625. Under the financial rules of the United Nations, the Fund was obliged to set aside all monies which it had undertaken to commit, thus immobilizing assets sorely needed for the expansion of the programme. It was the practice of Governments to pledge contributions to UNDP for a number of years ahead. The same procedure could he applied to the Fund so that it could undertake a larger number of projects in the certain knowledge that the necessary resources would be available. In the meantime, the Fund was endeavouring to limit project commitments to the costs of one year only, even though projects might have a longer duration.
313. The Personal Representative of the Secretary-General drew the Commission's attention to the part of the programme for which funds had not yet been committed because of the shortage of resources. He referred to a document listing 32 priority projects 126/ with a total cost of over $17 million, of which about $3 million would he required in 1973. He reported that a study had already been carried out in
125/ E/CN.7/552 126/ MNAR/11/72
-83 - Lebanon in 1972 by the Division of Narcotic Drugs and FAO, and the resulting project was ready for implementation when funds became available. A mission had also studied the situation in Afghanistan at the request of the Government, to which its report had been sent in January 1973. Project implementation must await the necessary funds. In the meantime, the Fund was attempting to obtain the co-operation of UNDP, other agencies and international financial institutions in addition to that of individual Governments in order to mount that difficult and costly operation. Finally, a mission had recently visited Burma. All its members had not yet returned and their report was awaited. He pointed out that those three projects, whose main element was crop replacement, were among the most complex, lengthy and costly in the repertoire of the Fund. The Fund bad been encouraged to undertake them By the initial good progress made in the Thailand programme, which was the first undertaking of that kind.
314. In summarizing his report to the Commission, the Personal Representative of the Secretary-General emphasized the good working relationships which had been established with other United Nations bodies and the efforts made to ensure that projects were properly co-ordinated and that all the expertise of United Nations organizations was brought to bear on their planning and execution. He noted that, at that juncture, the machinery for programme execution had been set up and was in good working order, that a number of projects were already in operation or even completed, and that a plan for future urgent activities was ready and waiting to be launched. He reiterated his gratitude to those Governments that had contributed so far and appealed to them and all others to continue their support, preferably by pledging contributions for a number of years ahead.
315. During the ensuing discussion many countries expressed support for the Personal Representative's appeal for further contributions. The representative of Japan announced a contribution of $200,000 subject to parliamentary approval. The observer for Spain informed the Commission that his Government had approved a contribution of $10,000 in December 1972, and the representative of Argentina announced his Government's intention to make a contribution of $3,000. The representatives of the Federal Republic of Germany, the United Kingdom and Canada took note of the need for long-term commitments and assured the Commission that their Governments would be giving favourable consideration to future contributions to the Fund. The representatives of Pakistan and Egypt, the observer for Ghana and the representative of the International Arab Narcotics Bureau of the League of Arab States supported the appeal for funds, stressing the need for early announcement of contributions and noting that the major responsibility for supporting the Fund devolved upon the developed nations.
316. In view of the costly nature of crop replacement schemes, which should merit priority in country development plans, the representative of Canada suggested that, in considering requests for assistance, FAO and UNDP should be urged to regard the replacement of narcotic crops production as justifying support for agricultural development programmes. He also suggested that those programmes should be given the highest consideration in bilateral aid programmes. The United States representative, noting with satisfaction the close co-operation between the Fund,
-84- the Division of Narcotic Drugs and the specialized agencies, also stressed the importance of seeking the assistance of international financial and development agencies for those expensive long-term projects. He also viewed as vise the decision taken by the Fund, in the light of the shortage of resources, to commit funds only for the first year of longer term projects.
317. The representative of India, was concerned lest the Fund's present financial situation should cause it difficulty in accomplishing the task entrusted to it and enquired whether it had carried out a long-term projection of resource availabilities similar to the one made by UNDF for the period up to 1981. He also expressed the hope that the growth of the Fund would not have an adverse effect on the total resources available within the United Nations system for development, to which the developing countries assigned priority. In view of those considerations, he questioned whether it was really necessary to finance from the Fund expenditures which might more properly be borne by the regular budget. The representatives of Canada and the United States of America supported the Indian representative's view that the costs of permanent programmes, such as those of INCB and the Division of Narcotic Drugs, should be met from the regular budget. The representative of the United States pointed out that it was only assistance from the Fund which had made it possible to maintain the technical assistance programme of the Division at its previous level. However, he felt that, in future, the Fund's resources should be used to supplement, not to replace, programmes financed under the regular budget. The representative of Sweden supported that view.
318. A wide range of views were expressed on the appropriate composition and concentration of the Fund's programme. The representative of India felt that, given the limited resources of the Fund, the traditional bodies should be relied upon to carry out law enforcement activities for the time being and that, until the resources of the Fund had grown, its activities should preferably be oriented towards education and training. The representative of Sweden expressed the view that the Fund had been created to achieve a proper balance among the various activities of the United Nations in the field of drug abuse control and to correct existing imbalances. It was, therefore, not reasonable to expect its programme to show an equal distribution of funds among the various programme headings. Various delegations emphasized the need for research in the social sciences so as to obtain more accurate information on the existence and causes of drug abuse and enable action programmes which were relevant and effective to be designed. Strong support was expressed for the project under which the United Nations Social Defence Research Institute would conduct an integrated programme of country studies.
319. Considerable interest was shown in the programme documents and the policy implications which they revealed. The representatives of the United States and Canada expressed the hope that in order to facilitate the Commission's work it would be possible in future to make available a single consolidated document on the activities of the Fund. The representative of Canada also suggested that a comprehensive statement setting out the activities and expenditure of all United Nations bodies in the field of drug abuse control would be very helpful.
-85 - 320. The representative of France pointed out that the work of the Fund was being hindered by institutional difficulties arising, among other things, from the fact that the Commission only met biennially with the result that the Fund was deprived of the Commission's continuing guidance in the formulation of its programmes which, he recognized, could not be held up between the Commission's sessions. Referring to statements by other representatives, in particular, by the representative of the United Kingdom, he agreed that it was necessary to avoid duplication of effort. He felt that it was dangerous to spread the Fund's limited resources over a large number of activities and projects and urged that the report of the session should record the consensus reached on the need to formulate a general policy in order to prevent the waste of precious resources.
321. The representatives of the United Kingdom and Jamaica stressed, in particular, the need for the critical evaluation of programmes, in consultation with all interested parties.
322. The Personal Representative of the Secretary-General expressed appreciation of the constructive suggestions which had been made during the discussion and which would help to improve the Fund's future operations. He thanked the delegations which had announced specific contributions to the Fund and those which had promised to give serious consideration to future contributions.
323. Referring to the suggestions concerning close co-operation between multilateral and bilateral programmes, he said he appreciated the importance of seeking broad financial support for comprehensive programmes from international financial and development institutions to supplement the Fund's resources; an effort was already being made in that direction with regard to the potential programme for Afghanistan. With respect to the preparation of an estimate of the Fund's future resources, he felt that such a step was premature and could not be taken until the Fund had a roster of regular contributors.
324. Referring to the point raised by the Indian delegation and mentioned by several other speakers regarding the need to avoid substitution of the Fund's resources for regular budgetary funds, he said there were several projects, the cost of which should, in the Fund's view, normally have been borne by the regular budget. One of those was the assistance given to INCB to enable it to shoulder its new responsibilities: another was the financial assistance given to the Ad Hoc Committee on Illicit Traffic in the Near and Middle East. In both cases the Fund had seriously considered the policy implications of a decision to give assistance and had reached the conclusion that, in the absence of regular budgetary funds, the two projects could not have been carried out.
325. In reply to questions put by the United States and Canada, the Personal Representative of the Secretary-General stated that a consolidated programme summary had already been prepared and would be made available for the next session of the Economic and Social Council. The decision to design the programme so as to approach simultaneously the three areas of supply, demand, and illicit traffic was in conformity with the mandate given to the Fund in resolutions of the Commission, the Council and the General Assembly.
- 86 - 326. He noted the support expressed by several speakers for the proposed programme in Lebanon and assured the Commission that it merited a high priority on the Fund's list of projects now awaiting additional contributions. Referring to the interest expressed in Peru and Pakistan, among other countries, he said he hoped it would be possible to send missions to those countries in the near future to discuss programmes in co-operation with the Fund.
327. The representative of the International Labour Organisation expressed that organisation's willingness to play its full part in the United Nations concerted action against drug abuse and described a variety of areas where its expertise could be appropriately applied. Those areas included the vocational rehabilitation and re-integration of drug addicts, the establishment of sheltered workshops, co-operatives and other employment schemes for former addicts, as well as assistance in co-operative marketing arrangements and resettlement activities in conjunction with crop replacement schemes.
328. The representative of ICPO/INTERPOL stated that the instructional slides for the use of enforcement officers financed by the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control had been distributed in French, English and Spanish and that other language versions were in preparation.
329. The representative of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization stated that the problem of narcotic drugs had first been introduced into UNESCO's programme in 1970 and preliminary meetings had been held and studies made despite the lack of funds and staff. The UNESCO regular programme for 1973-74, however, included a small budget for education and sociological research in the field of drugs; that would be continued until 1976 when a conference of ministers for education, youth and information was expected to approve the drawing up of a fully operational plan.
330. A meeting of experts, financed by the Fund, had been held in Paris in December 1972 to discuss drug abuse in some twenty industrialized countries. While participants had been far from unanimous on a number of questions, there had been general agreement on the need for a socio-psychological approach to the causes of the drug situation. The drug problem was seen as a consequence of economic development and industrialization accompanied by longer school attendance and uncertain employment opportunities. The meeting had refused to view the drug problem as being principally connected with youth, pointing out that abusive use of medicines was more characteristic of adults; it had similarly rejected the view that drug¬ taking was the main problem of youth at the present time. It had recommended that the motivation of people who deliberately abstained from taking drugs should be studied as well as those of drug users. The importance of a terminology free from jargon, on the one hand, -and from value judgements, on the other, had been emphasized. The meeting had agreed that, although the problem was certainly an urgent one, hasty action should be avoided, since programmes drawn up without prior evaluation might produce results contrary to the desired goal. It had been pointed out that preventive education in schools had little chance of success unless the rest of the community, and in particular parents, were also appropriately informed, and unless teachers were able to offer practical advice on rehabilitation and treatment. 331. The Commission welcomed the comprehensive statement and the detailed replies of the Personal Representative of the Secretary-General and took note of the progress so far achieved in mounting a concerted plan of international action to control drug abuse.
-87 -
CHAPTER VIII
ILLICIT TRAFFIC127/
Introduction
332. The Commission considered a review of the illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances during 1970 128/. prepared jointly by the United Nations Secretariat and the Secretariat of ICPO/INTERPOL, and took note of the data which it contained. It further considered a survey of the trends in illicit traffic during the first six months of 1972 prepared by ICPO/INTERPOL 129/. The Commission also had before it two papers: the first which was confidential gave the prices of drugs on the illicit market between 1968 and 1970 130/, as reported by Governments in their annual reports ; the second was a table giving the quantities of drugs reported by Governments to have been seized in 1971 13l/. The Commission regretted that for technical reasons beyond the control of the Secretariat, the information placed before it in those documents was not very up to date and decided to consider possible remedial action at a later stage of the session. The Commission was, however, provided with up to date information by representatives and observers, and was particularly indebted to the representatives of ICPO/INTERPOL and the International Arab Narcotics Bureau of the League of Arab States for their reviews of developments and current trends in the illicit traffic. It also took note of the periodic summaries of reports on illicit transactions and seizures received by the Secretary-General since the twenty-fourth session 132/. It further reviewed the report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Illicit Traffic in the Near and Middle East 133/ which it had established at its twenty-fourth session
333. The review in 1970 had been based on information supplied by Governments in their annual reports to the United Nations and on reports of individual seizures made to the United Nations and ICPO/INTERPOL, For the year 1969, reports had been submitted by 133 Governments (of which 33 had stated that they had had little or no illicit traffic). For the year 1970, reports had been submitted by 139 countries (of which 26 had had little or no illicit traffic). The number of individual seizure reports made to the United Nations had totalled 1,057 in 1969, 2,090 in 1970, 2,208 in 1971 and 2,089 in 1972.
127/ Agenda item 5 (see E/CN.7/SR.730, 731, 732 and 733 (Min.)) 128/ E/CN. 7/548 129/ E/CN.7/548/Add.1 130/ MNAR/9/72 131/ MNAR/l/73 132/ E/NS.1971/Summaries 2 to 4; E/NS.1972/Summaries 1 to 3 132/ E/CN. 7/550 134/ Report, twenty-fourth session, resolution 3 (XXIV)
-89 - 334. The Commission observed that an accurate assessment of the dimensions of the illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances must depend upon several factors, such as the satisfactory functioning of law enforcement services, the adequate collection of data at the national level and the utilization of the system of reporting to the United Nations and ICPO/INTERPOL. Part of the apparent increase in the illicit traffic might therefore be illusory. It was nevertheless gratified to note that, no doubt in response to the views expressed at its twenty-first session 135/, the reports of Governments on the illicit traffic had in many instances become fuller and more detailed, while the number of reports on individual seizures continued to grow.
Illicit traffic in 1970
World trends
335. Better reporting procedures, the introduction in many countries of specialist units to counter drug trafficking and a generally greater awareness of the existence of drug trafficking among those responsible for preventive measures have certainly contributed to the increase in the number of offences discovered and the quantities of drugs seized. How much of the reported increase was due to those factors and how much to a genuine increase in the illicit traffic is a matter for conjecture.
336. Despite that necessary reservation and a general impression that 1970 as a whole was much like 1969, the trends noticed in the earlier year became more pronounced in 1970. The level of world seizures of opium and morphine were both lower, but the quantity of cocaine seized increased very sharply in the Americas, and there were large increases in the amounts of cannabis seized in Africa and the Americas, and of cannabis resin seized in Africa, Europe and the Far East.
337. The quantities of hallucinogens seized also greatly increased, and LSD seizures were reported from all regions of the world except the Middle East. The representative of the USSR pointed out that there had been no seizures of LSD in the USSR.
Clandestine laboratories
338. The Secretariat received reports of the discovery of four clandestine laboratories for the manufacture of heroin in Iran, two in Thailand and two in Hong Kong. Two laboratories for the manufacture of LSD were found in the Federal Republic of Germany. ICPO/INTERPOL reported the discovery of a heroin laboratory in Turkey and of four laboratories for the production of cocaine, two in Chile and one each in Bolivia and Peru.
Routes and methods of smuggling
339. The main routes used for the international transport of drugs remained substantially unchanged in 1970. The following developments were worth noting:
135/ Report, twenty-first session, para. 119
-90- (i) More use appeared to be made of southern European ports for channelling drugs, chiefly heroin, to the United States via Latin America;
(ii) Cannabis and cannabis resin were carried in greater quantities from the countries of production to the markets of Europe and North America. In that connexion, increasing use was made of road transport from and through the Middle East through south-east Europe to western Europe, and of postal and scheduled airline services; and
(iii) Young people were increasingly involved in intercontinental smuggling of drugs, especially of cannabis resin from Asia.
340. Three classes of young people were typically engaged in drug smuggling: those who did so on their own account, those who did so on behalf of small groups of which they themselves were members, and those who had been recruited as couriers by agents of professional drug traffickers. Increasingly, however, cannabis smuggling was undertaken by small gangs with three or four members each.
341. According to figures given to ICPO/INTERPOL, merchant seamen represented only 2.6 per cent of those arrested. Reports (clearly incomplete) made to the United Nations Secretariat show that about 800 kg of cannabis or cannabis resin and 40 kg of cocaine were sent by air freight; military air and sea transports, as well as privately chartered aircraft, were used to transport cannabis and heroin 5 and there were 354 seizures in the mails (mainly of cannabis resin) 5 197 seizures were made at points of export and 157 at points of import.
Analysis by regions136/
(a) AFRICA
342. As a whole the situation remained largely unchanged from that of previous years. The predominant feature was the illicit cultivation of cannabis for domestic consumption and to a much lesser extent for sale in neighbouring countries. Cannabis seizures in South Africa, already very large but mainly of growing plants, doubled in quantity. Elsewhere on the continent significant amounts were seized in Kenya, Lesotho, Morocco, Nigeria and Swaziland.
343. Opium seizures were made in Mozambique, Mauritius and Tunisia, while Kenya reported that tourists were concerned in the import and export of several drugs, including opium.
344. The Ivory Coast reported a small seizure of dexamphetamine tablets; Nigeria seized 2 million tablets, their first appearance on the illicit market in that country. LSD tablets were found for the first time in Tunisia.
136/ Several members of the Commission objected to the way countries were grouped into "regions" and suggested that those regional groupings should be reconsidered.
- 91 - (b) THE AMERICAS
345. The pattern of trafficking continued to be dominated by smuggling towards the United States. The total quantity of heroin seized in the continent as a whole increased (as compared with 1969), but it was still slightly below the total for 1968. There were large increases in the quantities of cocaine and cannabis seized. A large increase in reported seizures of psychotropic substances may have been due to changes in reporting procedures.
346. In the United States, the amount of heroin seized rose from 260 kg in 1968 to 314 kg in 1970 and the quantities of cocaine and cannabis greatly increased. Over 9 million doges of stimulants and depressants were removed from the market. Cannabis traffic from Central America and the Caribbean remained heavy, but resin was increasingly smuggled from the Middle East. There was a growing tendency for heroin to be carried via South America. Clandestine production of LSD in the United States was mostly for domestic use, but some was exported.
347. In Canada seizures of heroin were at a low level (after the exceptional year of 1968), although the number of heroin addicts rose by 25 per cent. Of a total of 6,858 convictions in 1970 for offences in connexion with narcotic drugs and controlled substances, 6,270 involved cannabis. Many postal parcels containing the drug were intercepted on their way from Asia. There continued to be numerous cases of thefts of drugs from retail pharmacies.
348. Mexico remained a country of transit for the carriage of heroin and cocaine to the United States, mainly by air; in addition, there was illicit production of opium and cannabis, mainly intended for export. The high rate of destruction of opium poppies and cannabis was maintained in 1970. Seizures of morphine and heroin increased.
349. In Jamaica the quantity of cannabis seized returned to the level of 1967, but seizures of seedlings reached a new high level of 8 million. There was a marked increase of traffic to North America. In Trinidad and Tobago also there was considerable illicit cultivation of cannabis in forested areas, stimulated by export demand.
350. Cocaine was reported to be imported into Brazil for re-export, and cocaine sulphate into Chile for conversion into cocaine, of which about 70 per cent was thought to have been re-exported. The quantities of cocaine seized in both countries, as well as in Bolivia, Ecuador and Mexico, all increased. Brazil reported some illicit cannabis production in the north of the country and Chile an increasing diversion of cannabis from lawful plantations, despite an energetic publicity campaign.
351. Argentina reported some smuggling into the country of coca and cannabis leaves, but no illicit production or export of drugs.
(c) EUROPE
352. The principal feature of illicit traffic in Europe in 1970 was the very large and widespread increase in the quantities of cannabis resin reported to have been seized
- 92 - (perhaps partly due to more careful differentiation in reports between cannabis and cannabis resin). The quantity of resin seized increased from 2,400 kg in 1969 to 9,500 kg in 1970; cannabis seizures declined by only 65O kg. The number of convictions or recorded offences showed similar sharp increases.
353. The traffic in smuggled cannabis and cannabis resin in 1970 was supported by professionally organized smugglers and by footloose young people. Many persons convicted of drug offences were foreigners.
354. The areas from which cannabis and cannabis resin entered Europe were Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. Although specially adapted motor vehicles were commonly favoured by professionals for the smuggling of cannabis from the Middle East, increasing use was also made of air transport.
355. The importance and variety of the transit routes by road through eastern Europe were demonstrated by seizures of 1,376 kg of resin in Bulgaria, 3 kg in Hungary and 90 kg in Romania, as well as by the total amounts seized in Greece and Yugoslavia.
356. Although cannabis trafficking was the predominant feature in Europe as a whole in 1970, there were other features worth noting. Prance reported that the trend mentioned in its report for 1969 towards a decentralization of clandestine laboratories and transport routes had been confirmed in 1970. Nevertheless, ICPO/INTERPOL stated that the largest individual seizures of heroin and morphine base in Europe had both been made in Prance (52 kg of heroin in Paris en route for North America and 139 kg of morphine base).
357. The Federal Republic of Germany reported that its territory continued to be used for the transport of raw opium and morphine base in transit from the Middle East to southern Prance as well as for the transport of drugs in general to Scandinavia. There was an increase in unlawful entries of pharmacies. In Sweden, traffic in both raw opium and LSD increased. Phenmetrazine became subject to control in the Federal Republic of Germany when it was brought within the scope of the Opium Act.
358. LSD seizures were made in thirteen countries of western Europe. There were no seizures of LSD in the USSR.
(d) NEAR AND MIDDLE EAST
359. During the year 1970, the Near and Middle East continued to be an important source of production of opium, morphine and cannabis, intended for consumption in the area and for export. Although the general pattern of traffic remained much the same, there were three developments of interest in illicit trafficking routes. Firstly, high prices for cannabis resin in Europe and North America stimulated its export from Lebanon; the reduced supply in regional markets was made good by imports from Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. Secondly, there was a substantial drop in the quantity of opium seized in the north-west of Iran, about 66 per cent of the total having been seized in the east of the country. Thirdly, the great increase in the amount of cannabis seized in Iran and the arrest of 27 foreigners trying to import the drug into the country from the east illustrated the development of the land route for the smuggling of cannabis to Europe.
- 93 - 360. In Turkey the area under opium poppy cultivation fell to 7,045 hectares and seizures of illicit opium decreased from 1,133 to 540 kg. On the other hand, seizures of illicitly cultivated cannabis increased from 668 kg to 2,839 kg; 522 traffickers in hashish were prosecuted in 263 cases.
361. In Lebanon there was increased smuggling of cannabis resin to Egypt, the United States, Greece, the Federal Republic of Germany, the United Kingdom and Scandinavia, particularly Denmark. Syria reported a decrease in cannabis imports. Seizures of raw opium and morphine base both increased in Lebanon, while small quantities of cocaine were seized which were reported to have come from Bolivia, France, the Federal Republic of Germany and Pakistan.
362. Seizures of both opium and cannabis resin increased in Egypt.
363. Iran reported decreases in the quantities of opium seized and in the combined total of morphine base and heroin seizures. That development was accompanied by substantial reductions in cases dealt with and persons arrested: from 15,166 and 18,882 in 1969 to 9,226 and 11,616 respectively. Sixty persons were executed in 1970 for trafficking offences.
(e) FAR EAST
364. Illicit traffic in the Far East was confined almost entirely to "natural" drugs during 1970. The quantity of opium and morphine base seized continued to decline, although seizures of heroin rose from 67 to 177 kg. The amount of cannabis resin seized increased markedly, but the total of cannabis (ganja) seized was reportedly much lower than the apparently abnormally high level of 1969. Although the routes used for the transport of opium and opiates were virtually unchanged, there was an increase in trafficking in cannabis from southern Asia both westwards and eastwards.
365. In Burma a reduction in the illicit traffic in opium from areas east of the Salween river depends upon the future progress of regional development, especially in the districts of Kunlong and Kengtung. There were 1,029 convictions for narcotics offences. In Thailand the situation remained basically unchanged. Although the number of offenders prosecuted rose slightly, there were substantial reductions in the quantities of drugs seized, except in the case of heroin.
366. There were no changes in the situation in the Khmer Republic and in Laos. In the Republic of Viet-Nam the main routes for smuggling drugs into the country continued to be by road and river. Seizures of heroin totalled 4 kg compared with none in 1969.
367. In Hong Kong smuggling was still dependent upon the use of Thai fishing trawlers to bring opium and morphine base into local waters. There was very little traffic on merchant ships or by scheduled air services. Raw opium continued to be imported for conversion into prepared opium and for local consumption; morphine base was converted into crude (No. 3) or refined (No. 4) heroin for local consumption. There were, however, indications of some export of heroin to the United States and possibly Australia.
368. Japan reported a continued increase in illicit imports of drugs (mainly cannabis) by ship and aircraft. Sixty per cent of the persons arrested for cannabis offences were foreigners. While smuggling had previously been only from other countries in Asia, 1970 saw cases from Africa, Europe and the United States. In the Republic of Korea there was a special campaign to eliminate illicit opium production. - 94 - 369. Malaysia continued to be a transit territory for drug traffic; its seizures of both opium and morphine base showed substantial increases. In Singapore the opium problem continued to diminish; a marked increase in the use of cannabis (ganja) at all levels of society was, however, reported, resulting in an increase in the quantity of cannabis seized.
370. The most remarkable feature of the situation reported in India was the increase in cannabis (ganja) seized in international traffic; there was also a rise in the quantity of cannabis resin seized. Small quantities of opium and cannabis and 136 kg of cannabis resin were intercepted in 151 parcels posted by air mail to home addresses of foreign nationals.
(f) OCEANIA
371. In Australia there was evidence of better organization of smuggling groups. A seizure of some cannabis resin imported by air led to the uncovering of three interrelated groups of drug traffickers based at Penang, Calcutta, and Frankfurt, and to other arrests in Belgium and the Netherlands. There was an increase in the traffic in heroin brought into Australia by United States servicemen on leave and in hallucinogens smuggled in from North America. One hundred and thirty-eight mail interceptions were made (mostly of cannabis). There was some isolated small-scale illicit cultivation of cannabis plants, and other drugs were obtained by thefts from pharmacies and stores.
372. Drug offences increased sharply.
373. In New Zealand preventive measures again led to a reduction in the number of breakings into and thefts of drugs in premises and vehicles and were successful in limiting the illicit import of drugs.
Illicit traffic in 1971
374. In view of the fact that information before the Commission about illicit traffic in 1971 was limited to a preliminary statement of the quantities of drugs seized (as reported by Governments), the Commission passed on to the consideration of illicit traffic in 1972.
375. The tables which follow give regional and world totals of drugs seized in 1971, with comparable totals for 1969 and 1970.
- 95 - Quantities of drugs seized by regions
DRUG AND REGION 1969 1970 1971
AFRICA Opium 6 kg 65 kg 2 kg Morphine Heroin Cocaine
Cannabis: herb 1,267,844 kg a/ 2,514,398 kga/ 4,285,101 kg a/ resin 2 kg 143 kg 156 kg Stimulants; tablets 225,000 2,102,113 455,000 LSD: doses 25 THE AMERICAS Opium 66 kg 61 kg 49 kg Morphine 4 kg 264 g 4 kg 240 g 13 kg 690 g Heroin 179 kg 810 g 351 kg 600 g 751 kg 811 g Cocaine 150 kg 196 g 456 kg 919 g 527 kg 883 g Cannabis: herb 199,907 kg b/ 463,385 kg 209,879 kg resin 1,379 kg 3,909 kg Other narcotic drugs: 11 kg 543 g 27 kg 419 g 59 kg 548 tablets 801,800 ampoules 99 Stimulants: 257 kg 020 g 595 kg 770 g tablets 10,335 c/ ampoules 24 boxes 2,898 tubes 1,044 36 ml solution 156 kg 080 g Depressants: Not stated 169 kg 110 g tablets 600 5,764,000 LSD: doses 330 195 9,748
-96- DRUG AND REGION 1969 1970 1971
THE AMERICAS (continued)
Other hallucinogens Not stated 259 kg 490 g 254 kg 440 g
EUROPE
Opium 805 kg 324 kg 233 kg
Morphine 513 kg 905 g 273 kg 151 g 1,007 kg 606 g
Heroin 124 kg 466 g 78 kg 377 g 405 kg 393 g
Cocaine 1 kg 93 g 2 kg 092 g 35 kg 252 g
Cannabis:
herb 3,646 kg 3,497 kg 10,155 kg resin 2,403 kg 9,502 kg 9,019 kg
Other narcotic drugs: 324 g 356 g 1 kg 492 g
tablets/pills 855 20,062 29,077 ampoules/phials 7 3,875 19,151 injections 10 suppositories 1,839 3,340 solution 16 ml 2,817 ml 5,205 ml
Stimulants: 85 kg 779 g 32 kg 755 g 44 kg 158 g
pills/tahlets/capsules 197,041 62,558 190,112 ampoules/phials 86 602 solution 4,380 ml 483 ml 3,028 ml
Depressants: 10 g 450 3
capsules/tablets 122 129 1,010 solution 20 ml 3 ml
LSD: 4 g 100 mg 283 g 071 mg 138 g 286 mg
doses 43,218 226,222 212,456 solution 40 ml 33 ml Other hallucinogens: 448 g 150 mg 462 g 322 g doses 189 621 solution 150 ml 3,228
- 97 - DRUG AND REGION 1969 1970 1971
NEAR AND MIDDLE EAST
Opium 23,327 kg 18,707 kg 17,494 kg
Morphine 86 kg 585 g 92 kg 457 g 518 kg 125 g
Heroin 49 kg 677 g 43 kg 831 g 32 kg 876 g
Cocaine 199 g 827 g 301 g
Cannabis:
herb 5 kg 855 kg 1,648 kg resin 27,186 kg 24,059 kg 23,357 kg
Other narcotic drugs:
doses 480
Stimulants: 232 kg 933 g 1 kg 350 g 17 g
tablets 60 61 2,740 solution 11,082 ml 15,597 ml 4,951 ml LSD:
doses 991 FAR EAST
Opium 16,499 kg 9,829 kg 20,030 kg
Morphine 236 kg 182 g 172 kg 660 g 260 kg 606 g
Heroin 108 kg 792 g 183 kg 348 g 252 kg 949 g
Cocaine 71 g 113 g 70 g
Cannabis:
herb 354,307 kg 94,011 kg 120,573 kg resin 2,646 kg 6,491 kg 6,059 kg
Other narcotic drugs: 1 kg 865 g 2 kg 522 g
tablets 3,298 2,618 capsules/ampoules 796 solution 24,089 ml 2,676 ml 738 ml 98 DRUG AND REGION 1969 1970 1971
FAR EAST (continued)
Stimulants 295 kg 20 kg 717 g 44 kg 70 g
Depressants: 249 kg 411 g 137 kg 359 g 74 kg 25 g tablets 4,218
LSD: 200 mg 7 g
doses 462 1,795 Other hallucinogens:
tablets 20
OCEANIA
Opium 26 kg 10 kg 7 kg
Morphine 4 kg 750 g 117 g 69 g Heroin 196 g 1 kg 749 g 2 kg 576 g
Cocaine: 7 g 4g tablets 127
Cannabis:
herb 60 kg b/ 111kgb/ 257 kg resin 53 kg
Other narcotic drugs: 306 g 500 mg 413 g tablets 3,486 4,149 ampoules 98 510 solution 2,045 ml
Stimulants: 1 5mg 18 g
tablets 565 267 7,067 solution 1,227 ml Depressants: 50 mg 32 mg 22 g
tablets 128 1,063 3,067 solution 50 ml
-99- DRUG AND REGION 1969 1970 1971
OCEANIA (continued)
LSD: 60 mcg 6 neg 281 mg doses 368 17,600 32,418
Other hallucinogens: 341 g doses 62
a/ Including quantities (in plant and dried form) reported by South Africa. b/ Including resin; no separate figures given. c/ Reported as psychotropic drugs; presumed to be stimulants.
WORLD TOTAL a/ 1969 1970 1971
Opium 40,729 kg 28,996 kg 37,815 kg Morphine 846 kg 543 kg 1,600 kg Heroin 463 kg 659 kg 1,446 kg Cocaine 152 kg 460 kg 562 kg Cannabis: herb 1,825,769 kg 3,076,257 kg b/ 4,627,613 kgc/ resin 32,237 kg 41,574 kg 42,553 kg Other narcotic drugs: 12 kg 173 g 29 kg 640 g 63 kg 975 g tablets/pills 855 828,646 36,324 ampoules/phials 4,769 19,760 Stimulants: 319 kg 8 g 311 kg 842 g 684 kg 033 g tablets/pills 434,001 2,164,999 654,919 ampoules/phials 86 626 Depressants: 249 kg 421 g 293 kg 889 g 243 kg 157 g tablets 250 1,792 5,772,295 LSD: 4 g 300 mg 283 g 071 mg 145 g 567 mg doses 43,916 244,504 257,408 Other hallucinogens: 448 g 259 kg 952 g 255 kg 103 g tablets/doses 189 641 3,290 a/ Seeds, seedlings, capsules, coca leaf, poppy straw and miscellaneous minor quantities of ampoules, tablets, phials, solutions, etc., axe omitted. b/ Including growth destroyed in South Africa (2,335,751 kg). c/ Including growth destroyed in South. Africa (4,169,942 kg). TOTAL QUANTITIES OF DRUGS SEIZED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
1947 - 1971
Raw and Morphine Heroin Cocaine Cannabisa/ Synthetic Other L.S.D. Other Year prepared narcotic drugs Stimulants Depressants opium drugs d/ hallucinogens Kilogrammes Kilogrammes Kilogrammes Kilogrammes Kilogrammes Average 1947 to 36,671 84 84 50 102,061 111 g 1951 Average 1952 to 46,394 163 125 9 505,584 992 g 1956 Average 1957 228 207 1 kg 256 g to 38,505 14 444,647 1961 Average 1962 to 45,811 579 332 89 317,189 526 g 1966 - 10 1 Herb b/ Resin 1967 39,953 808 544 88 1,458,697c/ 11,108 1 kg 590 g 4 kg 900 g 439 kg 813 g 400 g Tablets: 828,738 Doses: 3951 Ampoules! 119 1968 40,153 813 546 158 1,471,408c/ 37,25? 43 kg 842 g 35 kg 901 g 63 kg 280 g 1 g 676 mg Tablets:930 Tablets: 999,670 Doses: 278 1969 40,729 846 463 152 1,825,769c/ 32,237 12 kg 173 g 319 kg 8 g 249 kg 421 g 4 g 300 mg 448 g Tablets:855 Tablets:434,001 Tablets: 250 Doses:43,9l6 Tablets/doses:189 1970 28,996 543 659 460 3,076,257c/ 41,574 29 kg 640 g 311 kg 842 g 293 kg 889 g 283 g 71 mg 259 kg 952 g Tablets! Tablets! Tablets: Doses: Tablets/doses:641 828,646 2,164,999 1,792 244,504 Ampoules/ phials: 4,769 1971* 37,815 1,600 1,446 561 4,627,613c/ 42,553 63 kg 975 g 684 kg 33 g 243 kg 157 g 145 g 567 mg 255 kg 103 g Tablets: Tablets:654,919 Tablets: Doses:257,40l Doses: 3,290 36,324 5,772,295 Ampoules: Ampoules: 626 19,760 Note: Seeds, seedlings, capsules, coca leaf, poppy straw and miscellaneous minor quantities of ampoules, tablets, phials, solutions etc., are omitted. * The figures given for 1971 have been taken from government reports and are incomplete. a/ Including plants and resin. b/ Including plants. c/ Including quantities (in plant and dried form) reported by South Africa; the figure for 1970 includes growth destroyed (2,335,751 kg)s and for 1971 (4,169,942 kg) d/ Meaning all drugs subject to International control other than opium,morphine, heroin, cocaine and cannabis. Quantities reported seized after 1966 are shown in succeeding columns. Illicit Traffic in 1972
376. Reviewing the main facts about the illicit traffic in 1972 on the basis of the information available to his organization, the representative of ICPO/INTERPOL started that, while in many regions there had been no marked changes, certain developments were worth noting. He cited in particular:
(i) The appearance of "liquid hashish" from the Middle East in several countries of Europe and North America. It represented a new danger because of its great potency;
(ii) The recent dismantling of powerful heroin trafficking networks in France and South America. Two of those gangs had previously murdered police officers and were in fact professional criminal gangs; for some criminals, indeed, heroin trafficking represented the summit of their careers;
(iii) Problems concerned with the production or trans-shipment of narcotic drugs now existed in nearly all the countries of South America. Their Governments were fully aware of that state of affairs;
(iv) A knowledge of how to produce LSD was no longer confined to North America and the establishment of clandestine LSD laboratories might be expected anywhere;
(v) Modern transport facilities were of growing importance for the smuggling of drugs, often in large quantities. In addition to ordinary trucks and private cars, private aircraft, pleasure craft and trucks operating under the TIR carnet system were being extensively used;
(vi) Although, in general, there appeared to be some levelling-off of the incidence of drug abuse in Europe, which was admittedly at a high level, several large seizures of cocaine had been made for the first time for many years.
377. Statements by members of the Commission and observers pointed to the following new trends and developments in their countries.
(a) AFRICA
378. A clandestine laboratory for LSD, run by Americans, had been discovered in Ethiopia. In Kenya the traffic in opium and cannabis was mainly conducted by tourists.
379. During the past five years the traffic in cannabis in Morocco had been organized on an international scale, including transportation by private aircraft.
- 102 - 380. Increased attempts had been made to import stimulant drugs (dexamphetamine) into Nigeria without licence. That was difficult to control because some importers, with the connivance of exporters, falsified the labels on consignments. Drugs were being smuggled through Nigeria in transit to Saudi Arabia during annual pilgrimages.
(b) THE AMERICAS
381. Brazil was concerned that it might be exposed to a traffic in drugs (heroin, cocaine and psychotropic substances). A large seizure of heroin (105 kg) had been made on a ship. At present, however, trafficking was largely confined to cheap cannabis of poor quality in the towns and a lesser use of amphetamines in some of the larger cities.
382. In Canada cannabis was the most widely abused drug and the quantities seized were increasing. Some "liquid cannabis" had also been seized. Cannabis resin came from the Middle East and Asia via Europe, often in consignments of over 100 kg each, while cannabis was usually imported in smaller individual quantities by air from Central America and the Caribbean. Psychotropic substances were a matter of great concern: most of the LSD came from the United States of America and many of the methamphetamines seized were of local manufacture. During the past three years the number of heroin abusers had increased (from 3,500 to 15,000) and addiction had spread to many communities; although heroin had also passed through Canada to the United States. The abuse of cocaine had first become evident in 1972, with supplies craning from South America, mainly by air through Mexico to Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.
383. The drug traffic in Chile was diminishing, excepting for cannabis. The main concern was illicit production of cocaine, 95 per cent of which was destined for North America. There was a small traffic in LSD.
384. Mexico had redoubled its efforts, in collaboration with the United States authorities, to stem the flow of drugs (particularly cannabis resin, cocaine and heroin) passing through its territory. It went mainly by air and was organized by gangs attracted by high profits and often financed by foreign traffickers. Seizures of opium and cannabis had increased, and there had been extensive destruction of illicit crops of opium poppy and cannabis intended for export markets. Seizures of cocaine had risen to 154 kg (44 kg in 1970) and of peyote to 20 kg (3 kg in 1970).
385. In the United States of America the quantities of cocaine and cannabis seized had doubled (415 kg and 193,800 kg respectively). Seizures of heroin had also increased (314 kg in 1970, 726 kg in 1971 and 470 kg in 1972), as had seizures of psychotropic substances. In 1972, over 42 million doses of stimulants had been seized; one seizure of heroin (174 kg) had been the largest ever made. The heroin sold on the street was of poorer quality and prices were rising; there were signs that some young people were turning from methamphetamine or heroin to cocaine or else underwent a detoxification treatment. Drugs entered the United States by many routes. Those from Europe mainly continued to come through South and Central America and the Vest Indies, but the traffic in heroin from South-East Asia was increasing. In the past two years over 2,400 traffickers had been arrested and there had been unquestioned successes against organized gangs. While much still remained to be done, there were some grounds for optimism.
- 103 - (c) EUROPE
386. "Liquid cannabis" had been seized in Greece, the Netherlands. Norway and Switzerland. Larger quantities of cocaine had been discovered in Italy, the Federal Republic of Germany, Portugal and Spain.
387. In France, the illicit traffic took throe main forms: a small trade by amateur traffickers, mainly in psychotropic substances and poor quality heroin; a more highly organized traffic in cannabis from the Middle East and North Africa, principally in transit through France, carried on by people attracted by the profits to be made; and the carefully organized import of morphine base and export of heroin for the North American market conducted by French criminal gangs. Seizures of heroin (65O kg in 1972) had increased ten-fold since 1970, and five clandestine heroin laboratories had. been discovered in the Marseilles area. Eighty-two international heroin traffickers had been arrested in France in 1972. Although the heroin producers apparently wished to remain in the Marseilles area and were determined to continue their work, there was a possibility of their moving elsewhere; both the import and export routes had become diversified.
388. In the Federal Republic of Germany cannabis remained the most commonly used drug and its use was spreading to the smaller towns. The quantities of LSD seized had diminished because of the fear of its effects. Hard drugs", however, were being consistently abused in increasing amounts. Foreign workers were not generally involved in the illicit traffic. The large flow of tourists made effective checks of motor vehicles difficult.
389. Seizures of cannabis had increased in Hungary in 1971. Romania was concerned that the growth of tourism might make the country a transit route for traffickers and had taken a number of practical preventive measures; at the moment, however, the drug traffic was not increasing significantly.
390. In Spain the pattern of trafficking remained substantially unchanged but seizures had increased in the last ten years. The first seizures of cocaine had been made in 1972 when two very well-financed gangs in Barcelona had been broken up. The main problem in Sweden was the illicit import of stimulants (particularly phenmetrazine), mainly from Italy and the Netherlands, by foreign couriers working with Swedish distributors through a variety of routes. Legislative changes in those two countries had, however, made amphetamines more difficult to obtain in Sweden.
391. Switzerland, which for several years had been a country through which drugs passed in transit, had now become a consumer country as well. Cannabis was the main drug of abuse; it was often used in combination with hallucinogens and opiates. Some seizures of cannabis oil and black morphine were reported. After a sharp rise in 1971, consumption of hallucinogens had declined in favour of amphetamines. There had been one case of attempted manufacture of synthetic mescaline. Several thefts of drugs from pharmacies had occurred.
392. The representative of the USSR said that the illicit traffic in drugs was basically a social phenomenon. In the Soviet Union, whose peoples had, in 1972, celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the Union's foundation, such traffic was
- 104 - virtually non-existent; strict legislation, stringent regulations and a well-organized Customs service were all effective measures of control, but social conditions, which were based on a socialist economic system, constituted the main factor preventing illicit traffic in the USSR. The absence of drug consumers meant that there was no demand for drugs and therefore no incentive to engage in trafficking. Thus, before the October Socialist Revolution of 1917, the Central Asian Republics had been large producers and consumers of opium and cannabis resin; after the October Socialist Revolution, however, there had been vast changes in that area, as in the USSR as a whole; rapid growth in the cultural, economic, agricultural and public health fields, coupled with the absence of unemployment, had combined to create a situation in which there was now no need for anyone to risk growing illicit crops or to succumb to drug abuse.
393. The Government controlled all imports of drugs, which were rigorously examined on arrival. There were no cases of illicit traffic in heroin, LSD or other psychotropic substances. The few isolated thefts of drugs were always brought to trial and given publicity, while the population was educated to be antipathetic to drug abuse.
394. In the United Kingdom there had recently been some large seizures: two of cannabis (300 kg and 400 kg) and two of heroin (2 kg and 6 kg). The heroin had come from the Par East, which was a. cause for serious concern.
395. The problem in Yugoslavia was to stop the flow of illicit drugs passing through the country. Large quantities of cannabis had been seized, in some cases from tourists.
(d) HEAR AND MIDDLE EAST
396. The representative of the International Arab Narcotics Bureau of the League of Arab States stated that there had been no decline in the quantities of drugs seized in the Arab countries in recent years. Traffickers had changed their routes and some cannabis was being transported to Egypt by way of Libya as well as by the older- established routes. Libya had taken strict measures, together with the Egyptian authorities, to halt that traffic.
397. In Egypt the abuse of opium and cannabis resin was spreading, paxticularly among farmers and labourers. Two hundred and thirty-three gangs of traffickers, headed by Middle Easterners and foreigners, had been disbanded in 1972, when 11 tons of cannabis resin and 1.5 tons of opium had been seized. There had been three cases in which drugs had been found in diplomatic pouches. The drugs seized appeared to be considerably adulterated at the retail level.
398. The rising quantities of cannabis seized in Iran in recent years was partly due to the expansion of tourism - 68 foreigners had been arrested for smuggling cannabis into the country. Smuggling of morphine base had assumed serious proportions.
399. After the ban on the production of opium in Turkey, positive results had been obtained as a result of a system of inspection and compensation for former cultivators - only 0.42 hectares had been found under illicit cultivation, as compared with 39 hectares
- 105 - in 1971. The 1972 harvest had yielded less opium then usual because of the had weather: official government purchases had totalled 75 tons of opium produced in four departments. Seizures of morphine base had shown a decrease of 80 per cent (259 kg in 197l)- Cannabis resin seizures had risen sharply (3,535 kg in 1971, 4,802 kg in 1972), and opium seizures had been double those of 1971. In spite of the stricter control measures introduced and the strengthening of the specialist police and gendarmerie units, Turkey was in danger of becoming a country of transit for illicit drugs.
(e) FAR EAST
400. The observer for China stated his Government understood the concern of people in countries where drug abuse was endangering the health of the population. The international origin of the problem lay in imperialism, whose exponents had deliberately spread drug addiction to further their policies. Hence a prerequisite for its eradication was the national independence of a country, which could then adopt the measures best suited to its own circumstances. That was what had been done in China, where a policy of combining strong leadership with mass initiative, and of strict government control limiting the use of drugs to medical purposes and scientific research, and a programme of public education had created in the masses a strength of purpose which had ended the problem of drug abuse in a relatively short period. In keeping with its set policies, the Chinese Government would co-operate with other peoples in a common endeavour to eradicate the narcotics scourge and strengthen the control of narcotic drugs.
401. Indonesia reported that large quantities of opium for local consumption (estimated at 300 kg a month) were being brought by boat into some districts of central Sumatra mainly inhabited by fishermen. Mandrax abuse had become almost epidemic amongst the youth of the country's four biggest towns. It was obtained from pharmacies by falsified prescriptions and forced sales (without a prescription) and from travellers who smuggled in small quantities. Forty-six thousand wild coca bushes had been destroyed, as well as cannabis plantations.
402. Japan reported growing seizures of cannabis and LSD (of which 324 doses had been seized in 1970 and over 4,000 in 1972). The drugs seized had been smuggled into the country from abroad. The quantities of cannabis seized were also increasing in Okinawa. Seventy-three per cent of the narcotics offenders were using heroin, their supplies coming from the Republic of Viet-Nam and the Philippines. There was some concern that traffickers and abusers might turn to stimulants because of the intensified narcotics control.
403. Laos was a country of transit for illicit drugs. Seizures of opium had risen from 3 kg in 1970 to over 400 kg, and of heroin, from less than 1 kg to 20 kg. Amphetamines were rarely used in the country.
404* The illicit opium and cannabis resin in Pakistan came mainly from the tribal areas and from adjoining countries. The ban on opium cultivation in Turkey was likely to increase illicit opium production in the region.
- 106 - 405. Drug seizures in Thailand had increased since 1971; the figures for opium for 1971 and for 1972 and the early part of 1973 had been 2,614 kg and 8,648 kg, for morphine 19 kg and 440 kg, for heroin 61 leg and 121 kg and for cannabis 521 kg and 24,385 kg. In addition, 26 tons of opium had been destroyed. Most of the seizures had been made in the north of the country. Supplies of opium in the villages had decreased sharply in 1972 because of had weather and increased police activity.
406. In consequence of the reduced demand in the area, the quantities of drugs seized in the Republic of Viet-Nam were diminishing, particularly of cannabis (5,258 kg in 1971 and 705 kg in 1972) and heroin (123 kg in 1971 and 25 kg in 1972). The heroin seized had been 80 per cent pure.
(f) OCEANIA.
407. In Australia cannabis seizures were increasing by 100 per cent a year, of which over half were of resin. More heroin and cocaine were being consumed, which was a source of serious concern. LSD (mainly supplied from the United States) was being seized less frequently, and there were indications that some abusers of LSD and other synthetic hallucinogens were switching to organic hallucinogens. LSD of an inferior quality had been manufactured locally in a few instances. Drugs were being smuggled into the country from more countries and from unsuspected transit points, and more frequent use was being made of commercial cargo shipments.
Preventive measures
Legislation
408. Representatives of many countries stated that new legislation intended to combat illicit traffic had recently been introduced or was expected to be enacted shortly.
409. Among those reporting the introduction of heavier penalties for illicit trafficking, often involving long terms of imprisonment, were the representatives of Chile, France, Hungary, Morocco, Sweden and Switzerland, and the observers for Italy, Laos, the Republic of Viet-Tam, South Africa and Spain.
410. Other countries were either enacting comprehensive new legislation for the control of drugs or were extending their controls to further drugs, not solely to prevent their abuse in their own countries but to prevent their export for purposes of abuse in other countries.
411. The representative of the United States of America recalled that Congress had enacted legislation under which the President of the United States could suspend all economic and military aid to a country if its Government did not take appropriate steps to prevent narcotic drugs produced or processed in, or introduced into, that country, from entering the United States illegally.
412. The representative of ICPO/INTERPOL explained the proposals first made elsewhere by his organization that the freedom of movement of convicted traffickers should be restricted in addition to any other penalties imposed at their trial. They were based on the principle that traffickers necessarily had to be mobile and made great
- 107 - use of private aircraft, pleasure boats and motor vehicles; they would therefore "be hampered in their work if documents such as air and sea pilots licnces, motor vehicle driving licences, TIE carnets and even national passports were withdrawn, either permanently or temporarily, from persons convicted of drag trafficking offences.
Strengthening of law enforcement
413. Many countries reported on the steps that had been taken to strengthen the ability of their law enforcement services to combat illicit traffic. They included the creation and expansion of specialized units, the provision of modem equipment, the training of personnel, the centralization and dissemination of information about drug traffickers, the co-ordination of the action of different services and the inculcation of an awareness of drug abuse and trafficking among police and Customs forces generally.
414. The representative of ICPO/INTERPOL reported that he was working closely with the Central Training Unit of the United Nations Division of Narcotic Drugs and was conducting a survey to determine which members of his organization needed, and which could offer, specialist training. In addition to the audio-visual material already distributed, he had adapted a Mexican film to illustrate the destruction of illicit crops and was drawing up a model programme of instruction for middle-rank police investigators.
415. The representative of Australia described the drug monitoring system introduced by his Government. That system recorded all movements of controlled drugs down to retail level (some 300,000 transactions a year at present), provided a stimulus for the secure custody of drugs and drew attention to matters that might need further investigation.
416. The representative of Mexico said that the principles protecting the legitimate rights of the individual must not be disregarded in efforts to control the illicit traffic. The Universal Declaration of Human Eights, adopted by the General Ass y of the United Nations in Paris, had laid down that no one should be subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment.
International co-operation
417. Many speakers referred to the advantages of intensified co-operation between countries in reducing international illicit traffic. For example, recent legislation in Italy and the Netherlands bringing phenmetrazine under control had lessened its availability in Sweden; the placing of Mandrax under regulation in the United Kingdom might help both Nigeria and Indonesia, which had had difficulty in controlling its import.
418. Examples were given of a developing trend towards regional co-operation. While conscious that law enforcement alone would not provide a satisfactory solution, many Governments reported that valuable results had be .1 obtained in attacks upon particular trafficking routes by close co-operation between the law enforcement
- 108 - services of different countries. The representative of Australia stated that a conference at Canberra in 1971 had been followed by the establishment of regular and very useful contacts with police and Customs authorities in South-East Asia.
419. It was stated that agents of the United States Federal Bureau of Narcotic and Dangerous Drugs were stationed in Paris and Marseilles and that French police drug specialists were resident in New York and the French Antilles. Regular conferences were held between then and with the Canadian police, while the police authorities of Canada, Mexico and the United States had recently concluded a meeting at Ottawa. The work of the International Arab Narcotics Bureau of the League of Arab States in stimulating and facilitating co-operation between the Arab countries was already well known.
420. A meeting of experts from South American countries at Buenos Aires late in 1972 had made a series of recommendations which would be considered by ministers at an international meeting in April 1973. They had, in particular, recommended that legislation controlling drugs of abuse should be made uniform, that information centres should be set up in each country to centralize and communicate information, that the exchange of experts and the giving of advice should be encouraged, that police officers should be attached to embassies to facilitate joint police action against illicit traffic, and that a regional mechanism should be set up.
421. The representative of Indonesia, reported that a group of experts from the countries of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) had met at Manila in October 1972 and made a comprehensive series of recommendations, which included proposals for the establishment of an ASEAN centre for narcotics control and of national central co-ordinating agencies and training institutions. The observer for Malaysia reported that a central narcotics bureau had already been set up in his country and that it had made a very successful start with its operations.
422. Less formal arrangements were in common use in Europe, where good results had frequently been obtained by close liaison in the investigation of individual trafficking gangs. The ICPO/INTERPOL system of police liaison known as the SEPAT Plan was working well and the initial doubts felt in some quarters had been dispelled. The liaison officers made two tours a year, as a result of which a written report was made available to the countries concerned and further confidential exchanges took place between the Secretary-General of ICPO/INTERPOL and individual police authorities. A detailed picture was obtained of the illicit traffic in Europe and of the action needed to combat it. It was hoped to extend the scheme shortly to the northern part of South America. Romania had recently been welcomed as a new member of ICPO/INTERPOL.
423. The representative of Sweden announced that, the European Economic Community having indicated that co-operation relating to drug abuse could be extended to non- member countries, Sweden had stated that it wished to accept that offer. It was also co-operating closely with the other Nordic countries, and bilaterally with other countries. The representative of the United Kingdom pointed out that effective co-operation between law enforcement authorities depended on the existence of a common political will. His country attached great value to the concept and its authorities were co-operating closely with their colleagues in the Community. In
- 109 - 1972 a Central Drugs Intelligence Unit had been established in London, which would work closely with the United Kingdom Customs authorities, the Customs Co-operation Council and ICPO/INTERPOL.
424. The representative of Switzerland stated that international co-operation would he intensified, particularly in regard to the disclosure of information about funds derived from illicit traffic and deposited in Swiss hanks: bank secrecy was not an obstacle to prosecutions for drug offences.
425. The representative of Yugoslavia recalled that it had once been fashionable to talk of "victim countries" and "source countries". Now all countries realized they were at least threatened by drug abuse and drug trafficking, and members of the Commission were working together frankly and sincerely in an attempt to find solutions to the problems. He welcomed that attitude, which augured well for the future.
426. The representatives of Romania and Yugoslavia and the observer for Greece paid a tribute to the value of the United Nations consultative mission that had visited their countries (and Bulgaria) in 1971.
427. Several speakers referred to the desire of their Governments for outside assistance in setting up control organizations or laboratories and in training specialized staff. They included the representatives of Mexico and Pakistan and the observer for Laos.
428. Several representatives stressed the need for massive international assistance to countries where natural drugs were produced. Because of their limited domestic resources, many of their Governments could not undertake, unaided, the tasks of agricultural and general rural development necessary to persuade cultivators to abandon the production of opium, cannabis and coca leaf. The representative of Mexico, however, emphasized that it was preferable to leave the responsibility for carrying out measures to Governments themselves, although international assistance was welcome. He suggested that developed countries could best help by buying the alternative crops suggested for cultivation.
429. The Customs Co-operation Council had prepared a model bilateral mutual assistance convention which might be useful to States wishing to conclude bilateral agreements at the regional level. It could also offer to find among its member States experts on frontier control who could be made available as consultants, or organizations prepared to accept for courses of study Customs officials who had been granted fellowships for the purpose.
Determination of origin of opium
430. The representative of France expressed the hope that the Governments of China, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey would supply the United Nations Laboratory with samples of opium from licit production, so that the Laboratory could increase its collection which at present was inadequate) of the reference samples needed for origin determinations.
- 110 - Equipment for the rapid identification of drugs
431. The representative of France referred to the need for a laboratory equipped for the identification of drugs, mentioned in paragraph 19 of the report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Illicit Traffic in the Near and Middle East, and urged that attention should be given to the question of identification kits: some national authorities wished to receive help in deciding which kits were most suitable, and he considered that the United Nations Laboratory might provide guidance. The representatives of Egypt and of the International Arab Narcotics Bureau of the League of Arab States both emphasized the value they attached to such kits.
432. It was stated in reply that the Laboratory had undertaken research into the question in accordance with the wishes of the Commission. Kits commercially available had been obtained and literature assembled. As a project given high priority by the Fund for Drug Abuse Control in 1973, it was planned to convene a meeting of experts to examine the question; its recommendations on suitable reagents and their use would be published. It was not intended that the United Nations should itself produce kits but that, in collaboration with national authorities, it should produce a prototype for their adoption and use if they so wished.
"Hashish oil"
433. Noting what had been said by several speakers about the incidence of seizures of "hashish oil", the representative of France expressed a wish that the United Nations Laboratory should collect and distribute as much further information as possible about its production and use.
Documentation for the Commission
434. Many members pointed out that one of the Commission's major tasks was the periodic discussion of facts and trends relating to the illicit traffic. Without the knowledge obtained from that detailed and careful examination, it was difficult, if not impossible, to determine the effectiveness of the counter-measures in force and to decide whether recommendations for further action were necessary. In that connexion a number of delegations expressed regret that documents which were out of date were still being submitted to the Commission.
435. That was due to a combination of factors, including the dates when the annual reports of Governments were received by the Secretariat, the time required to process them, the period of the year when the Commission's sessions were held, and the fact that the Commission now met only every other year. Methods must, however, be sought and found to bring that situation to an end, so that more relevant statistics and information could be submitted to the Commission.
436. The representative of Mexico expressed the view that the Economic and Social Council should be requested to rescind its resolution 1156 (XLI), under which, for purely financial reasons, the Commission was required to meet only biennially. Despite all the efforts of the Commission and of Governments, the drug situation had worsened in recent years, and there were juridicial, technical and administrative
- 111 - reasons which made it essential for the Commission to meet more frequently; it was the Commission's flutyt o bring those reasons to the Council's attention. He also thought it would he advisable to revive the Committee on Illicit Traffic, which had earlier met before the Commission and had prepared a report for it.
437. The representative of Prance said that the arguments adduced by the representative of Mexico were very urgent hut that other considerations also had to he kept in mind. Some way would nevertheless have to he found of rectifying a. situation which was clearly unsatisfactory.
438. The representative of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics requested that, in future, the review of illicit traffic should he arranged first by drugs and then by regions, as had previously been the case.
The Ad Hoc Committee on Illicit Traffic in the Hear and Middle East
439. The Commission discussed the report 137/ of the Ad Hoc Committee on Illicit Traffic in the Near and Middle East which had been established by its resolution 3 (XXIV), endorsed by Council resolution 1660 (LII). Introducing the report, the representative of Turkey, who had been Chairman of the Committee, said it had been the first time that the Commission had established such a committee to study the problem of illicit traffic in a particular region on the spot. Its undoubted success indicated that the method represented a promising approach to a possible new strategy for the Commission and might serve as an example to be followed in other regions.
440. There was no doubt of the sincerity of the four countries of the region and their acceptance of the need for the greatest frankness: no aspect of the problem had been left undiscussed. The Governments concerned had recognized that the Committee's purpose was not to confront and criticize them but to understand their difficulties and then to try and help; they had recognized that a small group of representatives and observers, assisted by international experts, provided a most useful instrument for analysing the problems in depth, for facilitating regional co-operation and for furthering action in the context of international policies and programmes. All the representatives had come to understand each other and their problems more clearly, and he was particularly grateful for the participation of Sweden, ICPO/INTERPOLan d the International. Arab Narcotics Bureau of the League of Arab States.
441. He pointed out that, with the prohibition of opium poppy cultivation and the exhaustion of clandestine opium stocks in Turkey (which the Gendarmerie estimated would take about two years), it was probable that international traffickers would concentrate on Afghanistan as a source of supply, using two main routes for the smuggling of opium or morphine base to western Europe; either a land route through Iran and Turkey or a sea route through Pakistan, the Indian Ocean and the Persian
137/ E/CN.7/550; (see E/CN.7/SR.733, 734 and 735 (Min.))
- 112 - Gulf to the Arab countries and thence westwards. Although opium production was prohibited in principle in Afghanistan, the Government would need large-scale assistance integrated into its general development programme if it was to combat drug production and trafficking successfully. While such assistance should be accorded the highest priority, a period of years would necessarily he required for a. complete solution of the problem. In order to achieve the more immediate results the Commission desired, it would be necessary to adopt short-term measures to strengthen law enforcement and to prevent traffickers moving with impunity through the whole region and especially across frontiers.
442. During the debate, a number of delegations paid a tribute to the constructive work done by the Ad Hoc Committee and to its admirably clear, thorough and succinct report. It had contributed substantially to an understanding of the problems involved and to the efforts being made to eliminate illicit traffic in the region. A policy which sought to prevent the replacement of one source of opium by others was both wise and necessary, since the elimination of production in Turkey was bound to encourage illicit or clandestine production in the other three countries in the region. The majority of members of the Commission considered that thanks should be expressed to the Governments of the region, on whose initiative the Committee had been established and with whose consent its study tour had been undertaken.
443. Among the speakers who supported the report and its recommendations, the representative of Sweden expressed the view that the recommendations were of great importance to the region and should be adopted by the Commission and commended to the four Governments in question. The main recommendations were realistic and could be supported by all Members of the United Nations and by the specialized agencies, especially as the Commission and the countries of the region were themselves associated with the proposals. The representative of France believed that regional co-operation of the type exemplified by the Committee should become more general and supported all its recommendations. The representative of the United States hoped the Commission would endorse the recommendations, particularly those regarding co-ordination and technical and financial assistance, and agreed that the countries in the region should continue to receive assistance from both multilateral and bilateral sources, as desired by the Governments. He hoped the study tour undertaken by the Committee would lead to closer co-operation in the region at the law enforcement level and that new agreements would be negotiated to prevent smuggling. He considered that the proposed sub-commission would facilitate the continuing regional and bilateral co-operation desired by the countries themselves and should therefore be supported.
444. The representative of Mexico considered the report fully justified the request of the Governments of the region for the establishment of the Ad Hoc Committee, although he thought the Commission should beware of a possible proliferation of subsidiary organs, since that would tend to weaken it when it should in fact be strengthened. The representative of Egypt said that his Government supported any intergovernmental initiative for greater co-operation in the region. The representative of Togo, recalling the background to the establishment of the Ad Hoc Committee, emphasized the need for similar control measures to be taken in all four countries and the importance attached to the Committee's mission by the international community. Togo supported the Committee's recommendations and would welcome a similar method of co-operation in its own region.
-113 - 445. The representative of ICPO/INTERPOL said he fully agreed with the Ad Hoc Committee's recommendations, but wished to emphasize his general view that regional co-operation should be harmonized and co-ordinated with the policies and programmes of more widely based organizations. That could most easily be achieved through participation by representatives of those organizations in the work and meetings of regional bodies, but that in turn presented them with problems of time, staff and money. It was accordingly desirable that conferences should be arranged in the full knowledge of the arrangements being made by other bodies in the region. Furthermore, while there was room for improvements in co-operation at the regional level in several parts of the world, it was important that arrangements should be flexible and compatible with already established systems. Since the ramifications of the illicit traffic in drugs were world-wide, co-operation must be ensured not only between the countries of a region but with other countries anywhere in the world.
446. The representative of the International Arab Narcotics Bureau of the League of Arab States noted that the Ad Hoc Committee's recommendations had recognized the important role which could be played by his organization in securing co-operation with the Arab countries. Those countries would be happy to contribute in every way possible to the furtherance of that co-operation. The tasks put before the Ad Hoc Committee could only be carried out in the long term, end the four Governments of the region would require increased technical and financial assistance to strengthen their control measures.
447. Many representatives, however, expressed doubts and misgivings regarding the Committee's recommendations and urged that their implications should be carefully weighed. While some representatives considered that certain recommendations were expressed in terms which were either too mandatory or too imprecise, the Commission as a whole concentrated its attention on the recommendation for the establishment of a sub-commission and on questions related to its competence and terms of reference.
Recommendation to establish a sub-commission
448. The representative of Mexico stated that while his Government was not opposed to the establishment of a sub-commission in that particular region, it would not necessarily support their establishment in other regions; bilateral agreements could be equally effective and less expensive and would involve no questions of national sovereignty. Any sub-commission must, however, clearly be an instrument of the Commission itself and should not seek to act in a judicial or semi-judicial capacity.
449. The representative of the USSR said he shared the Mexican representative's doubts as to whether the Commission would be wise to set up a sub-commission. More and more new United Nations bodies were being established to deal with narcotic drugs and it would be better to concentrate on the main problems and to make better use of existing bodies. The cost of the proposed permanent sub-commission was not known and its establishment might derogate from the authority of the Commission and lead to increased expenditure. Some recommendations might lead to interference in the domestic affairs of countries or lay outside the Commission's sphere of competence, and it might be asked to whom they were addressed. The Governments of the countries mainly
- 114 - concerned, such as Afghanistan, had reserved their position. He considered that great caution was indicated and he could not support the proposal for the establishment of a sub-commission.
450. The representative of Yugoslavia felt that the establishment of a sub-commission would risk emphasizing one aspect of the problem to the detriment of others; he agreed with the views of the representative of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, although he thought the Ad Hoc Committee's report was an excellent document if the future showed it to have been realistic. There was, however, always a tendency to set up a committee to deal with a difficulty and to disregard the constant need for economy. Other questions also had to be considered; for instance, who would have authority to convene meetings of the sub-commission and what body was to receive its reports? He thought it would be better for the Commission to recommend a. return to annual sessions and to concentrate on making recommendations to the Economic and Social Council concerning the general lines of policy which should be pursued.
451. The representative of India also had doubts and misgivings. While he saw that the main motivation for the establishment of a sub-commission was the desire of the four Governments concerned for regional co-operation rather than a jurisdictional body, he did not believe that the answer lay in establishing a sub-commission; there were other ways of ensuring regional co-operation and co-ordination. He considered that the sub-commission's functions had not been defined and were not related to a particular objective. Co-operation was preferable on an international scale, since illicit traffic was global in character and not merely regional. There was also a need for economy and money could be spent better than on a sub-commission. He agreed with previous speakers that the Commission's authority should not be diluted, and supported the Mexican suggestion that the Council should be asked to authorize the resumption of annual sessions of the Commission.
452. The representatives of Nigeria and Peru shared many of these doubts. They feared the creation of a precedent for other regions and the proliferation of bureaucracy; equally good results could be achieved through bilateral arrangements and visits by expert advisers without involving any danger of interference in the domestic affairs of countries.
453. Replying to the questions raised, the representative of Turkey first spoke of the competence of the proposed sub-commission. It was essential that a State which was vitally concerned in a problem should be able to participate fully in the discussion of that problem; hence, a sub-commission was needed rather than an ad hoc committee. But the sub-commission would be a subsidiary body of the Commission and its powers would be limited to making recommendations. It was intended simply as a forum for discussion and would not be a jurisdictional body; it would have no power even to apply its own recommendations. Its terms of reference would be those of the Ad Hoc Committee. They had been very general but so were those of the Commission itself and of INCB.
454. The recommendation to establish a sub-commission would not create a precedent; he had spoken merely of an example which might be followed by the individual Governments of a region in the light of their own conditions and wishes. As for its other recommendations, the Ad Hoc Committee had been pragmatic in deciding whether to make a precise or vague recommendation on any particular point.
-115 - 455. Any recommendations subsequently made by the sub-commission would first be addressed to the Commission, which would itself decide whether to adopt them and address them to Governments, after the widest possible international debate among its members, all of whom were experts. He thought that the Governments of the region would find recommendations made in sub-commission by their own representatives, although not legally binding, more acceptable than any investigations and proposals made by outside organizations. Furthermore, he believed that relations between States were facilitated when problems were discussed in an international forum and that the proposed sub-commission provided the best means by which the Governments concerned could reach understandings and agreements free of inadmissible pressures. Even then, States would be entirely free, as they were now, to take whatever action they saw fit on any recommendation.
456. There was no intention of attempting to provide the sub-commission with a permanent secretariat. As the Ad Hoc Committee had done, it could borrow staff from the Division of Narcotic Drugs when necessary, and costs could thus be kept very low. Nevertheless, the sub-commission could perhaps be converted into a regional centre in terms of the new article 38 bis of the Single Convention introduced by 1972 Protocol when the latter instrument came into force.
457. The representative of Pakistan, after reviewing the situation in the four countries of the region, said that their Governments sincerely desired to eliminate illicit drug production, devoting as much of their resources as they could afford to that task; those resources were, however, inadequate. They were prepared to offer ample co-operation but needed large-scale external assistance for long-term programmes of income substitution. The Ad Hoc Committee's report showed clearly that a regional approach was necessary; he considered that similar action was required in other regions to avoid simply transferring the problem of illicit production to other areas or to other drugs. Pakistan remained, as always, ready to co-operate with United Nations and other bodies.
458. The observer for Afghanistan stated that his Government was anxious to join other countries in the search for solutions to the problems of drug abuse and drug trafficking. It had taken various measures, which were described in the Ad Hoc Committee's report, and was ready to co-operate with the United Nations and the countries of the region. It still maintained its reservation, however, regarding participation in the proposed sub-commission; that reservation was based on financial and practical considerations.
459. The observer for Iran stated that the similar reservation he had entered had been solely due to his inability to obtain instructions from his Government in time. He was now glad to announce that it fully supported the proposal to establish a sub-commission.
460. The representative of Sweden stated that his Government's support of the proposal to establish a sub-commission was based on the understanding that it would not be a new and independent body with its own responsibilities, but would provide a means by which representatives of the Governments of the region could share in formulating proposals and be drawn into closer contact with the Commission. Its recommendations would become valid only if they were accepted by the Commission and carried out by the Governments themselves. It would provide a channel for a flow of ideas between the region and the Commission and would represent an interesting and important development in the work of the Commission which would strengthen its whole effort. It should not give rise to any misgivings, for other regions had different needs and other solutions might be adopted there. - 116 - 461. The representative of Sweden vent on to say that the financing of the sub-commission was a matter for the Economic and Social Council. There were many possible sources of funds, for the Ad Hoc Committee's basic recommendations were realistic and could be supported by all Members of the United Nations and the specialized agencies, but it should be remembered that the countries of the region would themselves be accepting certain financial obligations when they acted on their own proposals.
462. The representative of the United Kingdom said that his Government accepted the proposal for the establishment of a sub-commission, subject to review and authorization by the Economic and Social Council and consideration of the financial aspects. It did so because it was satisfied that the proposal reflected the wishes of the countries which would participate in the sub-commission, that its functions and relationship with the Commission were clearly defined and that the Commission perceived the consequences for itself of the creation of the new body and agreed that its own work would not thereby be distorted.
463. The representative of India said that his Government was open to persuasion but still doubted whether a sub-commission provided the best means of obtaining the regional co-operation which everyone agreed was necessary and desired. He favoured more flexible and informal arrangements which would enable decisions to be taken quickly. A sub-commission would entail formality and delay. The Ad Hoc Committee had been one example of useful work being done easily and quickly, and similar working groups could be set up to examine and report on specific problems. It was a question of finding the best approach for combating illicit traffic.
The TIR Convention
464. In view of the recommendation138/ of the Ad Hoc Committee that measures should be studied to prevent the smuggling of drugs in road vehicles carrying TIR carnets, the Chairman of the Group of Experts on Customs Questions Affecting Transport of the Inland Transport Committee of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) was invited to address the Commission.
465. He explained that the TIB system had been established in order to handle the greatly increased volume of international road traffic in the most efficient way. It was based on the principle of co-operation between different Customs administrations and on their confidence in the control exercised by the Customs authorities of the country in which the TIR vehicle started its journey. It included various provisions relating to the trucks themselves, their owners and the consignors of loads which were designed to prevent abuse. It had established a clearly defined means whereby Customs authorities could generally exercise better control, since each now knew what the others had done, but it in no way prevented any particular Customs authority from imposing extra controls or restrictions when a vehicle was within its own jurisdiction. While Customs officials were required to facilitate the smooth flow of international traffic, they shared the Commission's concern with respect to drug smuggling.
138/ E/CN.7/550, para.78, A(6)
-117 - 466. The TIR Convention was at present under review and a revised text would be considered by a Group of Experts in October 1973. It might be useful if an item on illicit drug traffic were included in its agenda) and Governments were invited to select their delegations accordingly. In the meantime he could make available the statistical data obtained from an inquiry into Customs frauds committed with the aid of vehicles covered by TIR carnets. He would welcome any suggestions which ICPO/INTERPOL cared to make to the Group of Experts.
467. He thought that the problem was probably less one of amending the Convention itself than of ensuring the proper application of the existing regulations. It might, however, prove desirable for Customs procedures and methods to be further systematized and standardized, although emphasis should perhaps be placed on increased vigilance on certain routes rather than on imposing more restrictions on all road transport. There were other means of carrying smuggled goods than in TIR vehicles.
468. The representative of the United States of America said there was ample evidence that vehicles sealed under TIR arrangements were being used to smuggle drugs across international frontiers from the Middle East to Europe. He suggested that the Executive Secretary of ECE should be requested to arrange for the question to be studied by the Inland Transport Committee of ECE. If the Commission on Narcotic Drugs agreed to that proposal, the Chairman might request the Director of the Division of Narcotic Drugs to put forward the request on behalf of the Commission. The study should be undertaken as a matter of urgency and be completed not later than the end of 1973.
469. The representative of France supported the proposal of the United States representative. The aim should be to co-operate with ECE so that the problem of the illicit traffic in drugs was kept in mind during the process of revising the Convention.
470. The representative of Turkey thought it would be better for the question to be examined by a joint meeting of experts, as proposed by the Ad Hoc Committee, since it was necessary to maintain a balance between, on the one hand, the interests of freight owners and carriers, whose main concern was for rapid transport, and on the other, the interests of Customs and police authorities, whose outlook was sometimes unduly restrictive.
471. The representative of Yugoslavia and Egypt both pointed out that more drug smuggling was done in private cars than in vehicles with TIE carnets. The former representative thought that efforts should be made to improve systems of control rather than to blame the TIR Convention; the latter representative, however, pointed out that a Government anxious to promote tourism would be reluctant to interfere with the flow of traffic except on the basis of reliable information.
Summary of conclusions
472. As a result of its wide-ranging debate, the Commission concluded that the subject of illicit drug traffic remained of great interest. Traffic continued to spread: new drugs were being abused, new trafficking routes and methods of carriage were being utilized and new countries were becoming involved. A few countries had no illicit traffic; others had to deal with well-entrenched systems
- 118 - and many were facing increasing problems. The classification of traffickers in in two categories - members of comparatively few well-organized gangs or numerous small carriers working largely on their own - was no longer valid. New types of persons were constantly entering the traffic while the ways in which drugs were moved were limited only by the imagination of the traffickers.
473. The former distinctions between producing and consuming countries had become blurred, since so many territories were now exploited for production, consumption and transit purposes both by their own nationals and by foreigners. Representatives were accordingly agreed that while national legislation and controls continued to be of essential importance, international co-operation of various kinds had to play an increasingly important role.
474. If the Commission was to fulfil its responsibilities to the Economic and Social Council, it was therefore vital that it should be provided with up to date and relevant information. Governments could help by themselves providing the United Nations with prompt and full reports, but further measures would have to be examined and adopted by the Commission itself.
475. The Commission emphasized the advantages of international and regional co-operation, particularly among law enforcement authorities, and the need to encourage that trend, but drew attention to the need for innovations to be compatible with existing systems of liaison and for activities within a region to be co-ordinated to avoid duplication and waste.
476. Requests were made for the provision of more scientific and technical aids to assist the detection and investigation of drug offences, and for the dissemination of information regarding fresh developments of all kinds for the benefit of law enforcement and control officials. The United Nations could make a significant contribution to that work.
477. The Commission debated at length the report and recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee on Illicit Traffic in the Near and Middle East and paid particular attention to those concerning an investigation of the abuse of the TIR carnet system by trucks smuggling drugs on international routes. In order to deal with that problem, the majority of the Commission's members decided that the Executive Secretary of ECE should be requested to arrange for the question to be studied by the Inland Transport Committee of ECE, with the participation of delegations including experts familiar with the problems of the illicit traffic and with the assistance of competent experts from the Division of Narcotic Drugs and ICPO/INTERPOL.
478. The Commission took note of documents E/CN.7/548, E/CN.7/548/Add.1 and E/CN.7/550 except for these recommendations in the last-mentioned document which were matters for consideration by the Governments concerned.
- 119 - Regional Co-operation
Sub-commission on illicit traffic in the Near and Middle East
479. The Commission discussed two draft resolutions 139/ concerning the establishment of a sub-commission on illicit traffic in the Near and Middle East, and considered an accompanying statement on the financial implications. 140/ Introducing the draft resolutions submitted by Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Pakistan, Sweden and Turkey, the representative of Turkey said that the original text 141/ had been amended by the sponsors in the light of the comments made during the earlier debate. 142/
480. The main difference between an ad hoc committee and a sub-commission was that only full members of the Commission itself could become members of an ad hoc committee; that rule did not apply to a sub-commission. The latter would therefore give the States of the region the full opportunity and the means of demonstrating their desire to co-operate with each other and the Commission. Iran, Pakistan and Turkey were among the sponsors of the resolution, and Afghanistan, although wishing to reserve its position, had a positive attitude towards the proposal; the Governments of the region felt they had a responsibility to the Commission as guardians of international co-operation in the region in matters concerned with the control of illicit traffic.
481. Under the first draft resolution, the Commission recommended to Governments that, subject to authorization by the Council, they should give effect to the recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee and establish a sub-commission; under the second, it recommended the Council to adopt a resolution giving that authorization. The proposal imposed no restraints on Governments: they would remain sovereign, would be free to take what measures they thought appropriate at the time of their own choosing and to withdraw from the sub-commission whenever they wished. The recommendations merely provided a base from which further action could be developed within the general context of the international policies accepted by the Commission, to which the sub-commission would always be responsible. The sub-commission, like the Commission, would have only the power of persuasion.
482. The representative of Pakistan stated that the draft resolutions had been revised to take account of objections expressed earlier. He could agree to the deletion of the reference to the possible desirability of establishing similar sub-commissions in other regions; that reference had been inserted solely to draw attention to the fact that there were other parts of the world which also had problems associated with the illicit production of drugs. There was no question of the sub-commission's seeking to exercise pressure on Governments. That was in any case impossible, since the sub-commission would be composed of their own representatives and they themselves were proposing its establishment.
139/ E/CN.7/L. 356/Rev.1 140/ E/CN.7/L.360 141/ E/CN.7/L.356 142/ E/CN.7/SR.733, 734 and 735 (Min.)
- 120 - 483. The observer for Afghanistan stated that while his Government had a generally favourable attitude towards the report of the Ad Hoc Committee, it reserved its position in regard to the proposed establishment of a sub-commission and to the text of operative paragraphs 3 and 6 of the first draft resolution.
484. The representative of India stated that while he and everyone else agreed wholeheartedly on the importance of regional co-operation, he and some others still had reservations in principle concerning a proposal to establish a sub-commission. The setting up of one sub-commission would inevitably lead to the setting up of others, and he had serious misgivings regarding the additional financial burden they would impose both on the Commission's budget and on Governments and regarding the possible dilution of the Commission's authority. He also doubted whether the sub-commission would in fact provide the best means of ensuring regional co-operation. He thought a sub-commission should be set up with a specific objective in view, depending upon the conditions prevailing in a region. That had now been attempted in the revised version of the first draft resolution. For that reason and because of the strong feeling among the sponsors that the sub-commission could play a useful role in the region in the implementation of the Ad Hoc Committee's report, his delegation was prepared to support the draft resolutions, subject to certain textual amendments and on the understanding that they would not later be used as a precedent. After the sub-commission had completed its work in connexion with the implementation of the Ad Hoc Committee's report, the Commission would no doubt review the position in regard to its continuance.
485. The representative of Yugoslavia did not think that the proposed sub-commission was the best way of obtaining regional co-operation and considered that the financial implications had been under-estimated. There was nothing to prevent any group of countries meeting whenever they so wished without doing so in a sub-commission, and there was a need for financial economy. He also considered that a proliferation of organizations and reports would lessen the authority of the Commission. For those reasons, he would have to abstain when the draft resolutions were put to the vote. The representative of Mexico stated that he was unable to support the draft resolutions, since the proposal would have implications for other regions; he considered that its adoption would dissipate the efforts of the Commission.
486. The representative of the USSR considered that the proposal to set up a sub-commission raised serious issues. The estimated expenditure was considerable, particularly as it represented only the expenses for the first year's work and took no account of the critical state of United Nations finances. A sub-commission would weaken the Commission, particularly if it met and reported more frequently than the Commission itself. In his view, more use should be made of existing bodies such as the Commission, the Board and the Division. Moreover, the Government of Afghanistan, which was directly concerned by the proposed sub-commission, had reserved its position with regard to the proposal. Lastly, he considered that the sub-commission's mandate, which was to study the implementation of the Ad Hoc Committee's recommendations, constituted a form of pressure on the Governments concerned. He would therefore vote against the draft resolutions.
487. Further debate concerned the limitation of the expenditure which might be incurred by the proposed sub-commission and any working groups, and the source of the
- 121 - funds necesary for the implementation of the proposal. It was to be understood that the meetings in the territories of the countries concerned would be held only in connexion with the yearly study tour referred to in the resolution, and that no expenditure, other than that related to the study tour, would be incurred by the United Nations budget. After certain oral amendments had been made to the text of the draft resolutions, they were adopted by 21 votes to 2, with 6 abstentions.
The first resolution reads as follows:
Resolution 6 (XXV): Establishment of a sub-commission on illicit traffic in the Near and Middle East
The Commission on Narcotic Drugs,
Recognizing that, in order to be more effective, measures against drug abuse must be co-ordinated at the widest possible international level,
Recalling that at its twenty-fourth session it established an Ad Hoc Committee on Illicit Traffic in the Near and Middle East to study questions related to illicit drug traffic in that region in order to promote more effective co-operation and mutual assistance in the suppression of illicit traffic within, from and into the region,
Noting the valuable report and recommendations made by the Ad Hoc Committee, 143/
Having regard to rule 66 of the rules of procedure of the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council,
1. Endorses the recommendations of its Ad Hoc Committee on Illicit Traffic in the Near and Middle East (with the exception of the recommendation contained in paragraph 78, A (6) of the Ad Hoc Committee's report) and commends them to the Governments concerned with a view to their taking the measures which they consider appropriate for their timely implementation;
2* Calls upon States, interested international organizations and agencies to render, where possible, necessary assistance to the States concerned for the implementation of the recommendations;
3. Establishes, subject to the authorization of the Economic and Social Council, a sub-commission on illicit traffic in the Near and Middle East consisting of one representative each of Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey and a representative of Sweden, to study the implementation of these recommendations, to propose for this purpose, if appropriate, supplementary recommendations to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and to formulate recommendations to the aforesaid Commission on other related matters, as determined by the sub-commission itself or requested by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs;
4. Invites the Governments concerned to participate in the sub-commission's work;
143/ E/CN. 7/550
- 122 - 5. Authorizes the sub-commission to set up, in agreement with the Secretary- General, working groups to study particular operational questions and to make recommendations thereon;
6. Decides that meetings of the sub-commission and its working groups shall be held in Geneva or in the territory of the States of the region members of the sub-commission, that the sub-commission shall meet once a year in Geneva, shall undertake, with the consent of the interested Governments of the region, a study tour in the territories of the regional members every year, and that the terms of office of the members shall begin on the day of its establishment;
7. Invites the International Narcotics Control Board to participate in the work of the sub-commission;
8. Authorizes the chairman of the sub-commission to invite as observers ICPO/INTERPOL, the International Road Transport Union, the International Arab Narcotics Bureau of the League of Arab States and other competent international organizations to participate in the sub-commission's work;
9. Requests the Secretary-General to make available such staff as he deems necessary to facilitate the work of the sub-commission and its working groups;
10. Requests the sub-commission to report to the Commission.
The second resolution reads as follows:
Resolution 7 (XXV): Illicit traffic
The Commission on Narcotic Drugs,
Recommends to the Economic and Social Council the adoption of the following draft resolution:
[For this part of resolution 7 (XXV), see chapter XII, draft resolution E.]
488. Speaking in explanation of vote, the representative of Turkey stated that his Government might review its participation should Afghanistan not agree to join the sub-commission; he strongly appealed to the Government of Afghanistan to participate. The representative of Pakistan stated that his Government's participation was conditional upon the participation of the other States invited to join the sub-commission. Mexico stated that it had abstained because, although it respected the decisions of sovereign Governments, it was concerned lest the proliferation of international organizations should lead to an increase in expenditure and administrative staff, and lessen the effectiveness of the Commission.
-123- Ad hoc committee for the Far East region
489. The representative of Australia introduced a draft resolution 144/ submitted by Australia, Japan and Thailand, recommending the establishment of an ad hoc committee for the Far East region, which was accompanied by a statement of its financial implications. 145/ He realized that the key factor in combating problems of drug abuse was appropriate action by Governments in their own territories, but there was a need for them to look beyond their own borders. The deliberations of the Commission itself, the experience gained from the work of the Ad Hoc Committee on Illicit Traffic in the Near and Middle East, and the conference on illicit traffic in South-East Asia held at Canberra in 1971 bad produced valuable results. Various initiatives had recently been taken in the region towards the establishment of regional bodies. There was a possible need for a formal body and it was to be hoped that the Commission would help to rationalize the situation ; the countries should accordingly be given an opportunity by the United Nations to meet, discuss their common problems and decide whether their needs could best be met by the creation of a sub-commission on the model of the one proposed for the Bear and Middle East, by an alternative organization or by some other means of co-ordination. Whatever they decided to propose, they would provide the Commission with detailed information about the region. The expenses of the ad hoc committee, which would undertake a study tour to ascertain the wishes of the Governments and frame recommendations to the Commission, were small in relation to the number of countries involved and the benefits expected from its work.
490. Consultations had taken place between the countries of the region and they had unanimously agreed that they should not now ask for more than the establishment of an ad hoc committee, which would report to the Commission at its next session and then come to an end.
491. After the representatives of Japan and Thailand had spoken in favour of the draft resolution, the representative of India expressed the view that it was premature to think in terms of a sub-commission and suggested that that part of the proposal should be withdrawn. He concluded, as did some other speakers, that the geographical limits implied by the terms "South-East Asia" and "Far East" required clarification and that the various problems in the region needed to be identified and defined. Discussions and other consultations were talcing placed in the region, involving a number of Governments and organizations, and should be allowed to continue and reach conclusions before the Commission was asked to make up its mind about a sub-commission. If an ad hoc committee was established, it should address itself to the problems of the region and possible ways of solving them, rather than concern itself primarily with the feasibility of setting up a sub-commission. He had already emphasized the question of the heavy expenditure that would be involved and the need for economy.
492. The representative of Turkey pointed out that the draft resolution was sponsored by three of the five members of the Commission belonging to the South-East Asia region. It therefore represented a majority opinion and his delegation was
144/ E/CH.7/L.357 145/ E/CB.7/L.361
- 124 - delighted to support the draft resolution in principle. He thought, however, that the suggested ad hoc committee should address itself to the particular circumstances of the region and consider the need for a sub-commission from that standpoint, and then, if relevant, its composition and terms of reference. He proposed certain amendments to the text to achieve those aims.
493. The representative of the United States of America said that the draft resolution was founded on the desire of the countries themselves for better regional co-operation; they should be supported and helped by the Commission. The ad hoc committee would be free to come to what conclusions it liked and any recommendations it chose to make would be considered by the Commission.
494. The representative of the USSR said that he could not support the draft resolution. The Commission was setting up new bodies at considerable cost, thus aggravating the critical state of United Nations finances, despite the fact that the position of Governments with regard to the sub-commission might be ascertained in other ways. The establishment of a sub-commission might reduce the effectiveness of the Commission.
495. The representative of Romania said that the problem of narcotic drugs was an international problem and therefore necessitated co-operation among countries. It should, however, be borne in mind that action to control illicit traffic and drug abuse was ultimately a matter for the national authorities (the police and Customs services). With regard to the problem of the Par East, his delegation had proposed the establishment of an ad hoc committee to consult with the countries concerned and to report to the Commission concerning the most suitable means of realizing and promoting a more effective co-operation and mutual assistance among the countries of the region. The Romanian proposal had been incorporated in the draft resolution.
496. The representative of the United Kingdom said it had been clearly shown that the countries of the region felt that what they had done so far needed a further stimulus, that the ad hoc committee would examine various possibilities regarding a possible mechanism for securing regional co-operation and the question of a sub-commission was not prejudged, that its establishment might help to avoid the risk of wasteful duplication, and that with the active co-operation of the countries concerned, the expense might, on balance, be worth incurring. That last point was, however, a matter for the Commission and the Council, and he reserved his Government's position on it. Apart from that, he would support the draft resolution.
497. The resolution was amended in the light of the views expressed and references to a "sub-commission" were omitted. It was agreed that the term "Far East" had no juridical meaning. After some other oral amendments had been made to the text of the draft resolution, it was adopted by the Commission by 20 votes to 2, with 6 abstentions. The text of the resolution reads as follows:
Resolution 8 (XXV): Ad Hoc Committee for the Far East region
The Commission on Narcotic Drugs.
Aware that to be more effective measures against drug abuse must be co-ordinated at the widest possible international level,
- 125 - Noting with satisfaction that discussions are already in progress within other regions looking towards the establishment of a regional mechanism on illicit traffic and drug abuse control,
Considering the desirability of examining in liaison with the international organizations concerned, such as the International Narcotics Control Board and ICPO/INTERPOL, the usefulness of further regional co-operation in the Far East to consider illicit traffic within, from and into that region and related matters, and to formulate recommendations to the Commission,
1. Establishes an Ad Hoc Committee of members of the Commission to consult with the countries concerned and to report to the Commission's next session concerning the most suitable means of realizing and promoting a more effective co-operation and mutual assistance in the suppression of illicit traffic within, from and into the Far-East region;
2. Authorizes the Chairman of the Commission to undertake consultations and to make proposals to the Commission at its current session concerning the composition of the Ad Boo Committee;
3. Directs the Ad Hoc Committee to meet during the present session of the Commission;
4. Requests the Secretary-General to approve a meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee to take place between the present session of the Commission and the next;
5. Decides that the meetings of the Ad Hoc Committee shall be held at Geneva and in the territory of the countries of the region represented on the Ad Hoc Committee with the approval of the Governments concerned.
Regional co-operation in South America
498. A draft resolution, 146/ submitted by Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru, was introduced by the representative of Argentina. He and his co-sponsors explained that a group of experts from their Governments had met at Buenos Aires in November and December 1972 and formulated certain proposals which were to he considered at a meeting of ministers in April 1973. The desire for action and co-operation in the region and for the establishment of a link with the Commission would then he given concrete form: common formulas for prevention and control policies and strategies would be worked out and a regional consciousness in this field developed. Some proposals would perhaps be made for the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control to finance particular regional operations. At present, however, it was not possible to forecast what type of mechanism might be established and therefore what kind of relationship with the Commission might be proposed. The draft resolution was accordingly pragmatic and committed no one. Any recommendations made at the conference in April 1973 would, if necessary, be submitted to the Commission.
146/ E/CN.7/L.359
- 126 - 499. The representative of the USSR stated that he supported the draft resolution because it represented an initiative by the Governments of the region to establish an independent body which would maintain liaison with the Commission but which, according to the statements by its sponsors, would not require any additional expenditure by the United Nations. The representative of Yugoslavia expressed a similar view.
500. Many other delegations supported the draft resolution. Fuller details were requested regarding the regional mechanism and its links with the Commission, and the need for a formal link was questioned, but it was agreed that it would be premature to attempt a definition at that stage. Decisions could be taken by the Commission at its next session.
501. Oral amendments were made to the draft resolution, which, as amended, was adopted by 29 votes to none, with no abstentions. The text of the resolution reads as follows:
Resolution 9 (XXV): Action in South America
The Commission on Narcotic Drugs
Motes with satisfaction that talks have begun in South America with a view to the establishment of a regional mechanism to fight against illicit traffic and drug abuse, and
Expresses the hope that, if created, appropriate relations will be established between that regional mechanism and the Commission on Narcotic Drugs.
502. The representative of Turkey, explaining his vote, said that he had voted in favour of the draft resolution because it seemed to him that the regional system could be a body independent of the United Nations but maintaining appropriate relations with it just as well as a subsidiary body of the United Nations itself.
- 127 -
CHAPTER IX
ABUSE OF DRUGS (DRUG ADDICTION)147/
Introduction
503. A note by the Secretary-General on Drug Abuse148/ was considered by the Commission. The note presented data for the year 1970 on the abuse of narcotic drugs 5 the analysis in that document was based on the information supplied by Governments.
504. The Commission had. already noted at its twenty-fourth session149/ the impossibility of making a reliable comparative survey on drug abuse, based only on data from annual reports of Governments. Similar observations were made by the majority of the members of the Commission during the discussion, since the quality of Government information on drug abuse had. changed very little. The Secretariat had prepared a new draft form of chapter X150/ of the annual reports which was intended to improve the quality of data in the reports of Governments. The Division of Narcotic Drugs had. also submitted to the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control a research project providing assistance to Governments in the prepara tion of their reports on drug abuse.
World situation in 1970151/
505. Although the data contained in the annual reports of Governments were often poor and sometimes non-existent, it was nonetheless possible to discern certain trends in drug abuse and to obtain a picture of the world situation. According to those reports, narcotic drug abuse in the different regions of the world for 1970 was as follows:
(a) AFRICA
506. Cannabis was still the most frequently used drug. Seven countries had. reported cases of cannabis abuse, two of them (Mauritius and Tunisia) giving statistics, and five without mentioning any figures (Kenya, Madagascar. Morocco, Senegal and Zambia). South Africa had. reported a large number (35,230) of prosecu tions for illegal possession of cannabis. Two countries (Mauritius and Tunisia) had reported cases of opium addiction. Only one country (South Africa) had reported cases of abuse of synthetic drugs. Kenya had reported a few cases of abuse of certain opiates (mainly morphine and omnopon).
147/ Agenda item 6 (see E/CN.7/SR.736 to 738 (Min.)) 148/ E/CN.7/546 149/ See report, twenty-fourth session, para. 196 150/ E/CN.7/547/Add.3 151/ Several members of the Commission objected to the way countries were grouped into "regions" and suggested the re-consideration of their regional groupings
- 129 - 507. The African Governments had. not reported any case of heroin or cocaine abuse in 1970* Drug abuse was not a serious problem in Africa according to the reports. However, United Nations advisory and. study groups which had visited several countries in Africa in 1970 and 1971 had noted that drug abuse was beginning to create problems in that region.
(b) THE AMERICAS
508. Three countries had reported cases of opium abuse, but they were still fairly small in number. Argentina was the only one to report cases of abuse of opium preparations. Cases of morphine abuse were reported by seven countries - Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua and the United States - but the figures given were not high. In two countries of the North American continent - Canada and the United States - heroin abuse was the major problem in opiate addiction. In both countries the number of cases reported was larger than in 1969. In the United States a large number of addicts also abused other opiates such as codeine, hydromorphine, etc. Abuse of synthetic substances (mainly methadone and pethidine) was reported by eight countries (Argentina. Canada, Chile, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States). The report of the Government of Canada also indicated that heroin addicts procured synthetic drugs (mostly methadone) when heroin was of poor quality or in short supply.
509. The main problem of some of the Andean countries of South America was still coca-leaf chewing, although Argentina was the only country to furnish information on the subject. According to the report of the Argentine Government, the number of coca-leaf chewers in the country was estimated at 50,000. The Government of Chile reported that coca-leaf chewing had never been a problem in the country; the habit had been confined to some workers in the northern part of the country, who had. chewed coca leaves for a few decades, but it had. now completely disappeared.
510. Four countries (Argentina, Canada, Ecuador and Jamaica) mentioned cocaine abuse. Although fairly large amounts of cocaine had been seized in the region, the number of cocaine addicts reported was negligible.
511. Three countries (Canada, Chile and Honduras) had provided information on cannabis abuse. Brazil, which, in its 1969 report, had mentioned 7,025 cannabis users, did not refer to the question in its 1970 report. On the other hand, Canada reported that the number of persons involved in cannabis offences had. risen from 5,157 in 1969 to 10,017 in 1970. The Canadian report also stated that cannabis abuse was becoming more and more widespread and that the use of cannabis resin seemed to be increasing.
512. Cases of multiple drug addiction were reported by two countries - Jamaica and Canada. The latter reported that it was mainly the young who were using more than one drug and that multiple drug addiction was growing.
513. The Canadian report also mentioned abuse of psychotropic substances.
- 130 - (c) EUROPE
514. The annual reports indicated few cases of abuse of opium or opium preparations. Six countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Federal Republic of Germany, Poland, Spain and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) reported a few cases of abuse of opium, while five countries (Bulgaria, Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Poland and Sweden) reported cases of abuse of opium preparations.
5l5. As in its report for 1969, the Federal Republic of Germany mentioned abuse of other opiates, particularly hydromorphone and oxycodone (913 cases in all); some cases were reported by ten other countries.
516. Most of the countries reporting cases of morphine abuse indicated that they were of therapeutic origin. The same origin was given for abuse of synthetic drugs, although the figures reported were much higher than for morphine. The Federal Republic of Germany reported 1,510 oases of abuse of synthetic drugs and Spain 447, methadone and pethidine being the drugs most often used. The United Kingdom also gave a fairly high figure: 1,144 cases, of which 732 addicts used methadone only and. 254 took it in combination with heroin. However, it was lower than the figure given by the United Kingdom in its report for 1969, which had indicated that 1,687 addicts took synthetic drugs and 624 (as against only 254 in 1970) took heroin in combination with methadone.
517. The number of heroin addicts remained fairly low.
518. Cocaine abuse was reported by only three countries (Federal Republic of Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom). Poland, however, reported for the first time a few cases of cocaine abuse by the young.
519. Cannabis seemed to be the drug most widely abused in Europe. Ten countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Finland, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland and Spain) mentioned such abuse in their reports. The main features of cannabis abuse were, first, its preponderance in number of cases (Finland: 5,000 to 10,000 persons according to surveys carried out in that country; Greece: 5,679; and Norway: 5,000;152/ secondly, its presence especially among young people (Austria, Finland and Federal Republic of Germany); and, lastly, its steady increase (Finland, France, Federal Republic of Germany and Greece).
520. The reports mentioned a few cases of multiple drug addiction: in Austria, cannabis resin in combination with opium; in Poland, morphine with synthetic drugs; and in the United Kingdom, heroin with methadone (although the number had dropped) and morphine mainly with pethidine.
521. Attention was drawn by several countries to the abuse of psychotropic substances. Most of the oases consisted of amphetamine abuse (Belgium, Finland, France, Federal Republic of Germany and Poland). However, some cases of abuse of LSD were also reported (Finland, France and Federal Republic of Germany).
152/ This figure, valid for 1970, was taken from a study mentioned in the Government of Norway's report for 1969.
-131 - (d) FAR EAST
522. In the majority of countries failure to register drug addicts or to report cases of drug addiction prevented Governments from providing data on the number of addicts. Consequently, it was difficult to assess the situation in the region, but it was certain that abuse of opium, morphine, heroin and cannabis was still a very serious problem in the Par East.
523. Seven reports (Burma, Hong Kong, India, Macao, Pakistan, Singapore and Thailand) indicated abuse of opium in the region. The figures given for opium addicts lay India and. Burma were 99,000 and 13,567 respectively. There might be fairly extensive opium abuse in Pakistan, but no statistics on the problem were available.
524. Hong Kong, Japan, Macao, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Viet-Nam and. Thailand mentioned the problem of heroin abuse in their reports. It was noteworthy, however, that the statistics furnished by Hong Kong indicated a decline in the number of heroin addicts (from 12,982 in 1969 to 11,593 in 1970). Japan reported 5,410 cases of heroin abuse.
525. In its report India estimated the number of cannabis users at 200,000 but the other reports, except that from Japan (8 cases), contained no precise figures for cannabis users.
(e) NEAR AMD MIDDLE EAST
526. According to the data in government reports, the drugs most widely used in the region were opium, heroin and cannabis. However, it was impossible at present to gauge the extent of the problem from the available statistics.
527. Six countries (Egypt, Iran, Iraq., Lebanon, Syrian Arab Republic and. Turkey) reported cases of opium abuse. The Iranian authorities were aware of the problem presented by the abuse of opiates in Iran, but had not yet been able to give any figures for it.
528. Five countries (Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Syrian Arab Republic and. Turkey) mentioned cases of cannabis abuse in their reports, but the extent of the abuse could not be estimated from the statistics available. Turkey reported 2,144 cases, but indicated that cannabis abuse was not a serious problem.
529. The report of Cyprus mentioned 39 cases of abuse of synthetic drugs.
530. One country (Egypt) reported cases of barbiturate abuse.
(f) OCEANIA.
531. According to the government reports, drug addiction did. not pose serious problems in the area. It should be noted, however, that Australia reported an increasing frequency of cannabis abuse. The report for Papua - New Guinea also mentioned prosecutions for possession of cannabis and. added that cannabis abuse might create problems in the future.
- 132 - 552. In Australia, cases of abuse of synthetic drugs had also been increasing in number. New Zealand reported that the drugs most frequently used were pethidine and. methadone, and that they were generally taken in combination with other drugs.
Comments on the reporting. system
533. Several representatives pointed out that the material presented in the document was based on past statistics and was therefore of little significance, since it was out of date.
534. Other representatives and. observers stated that the data contained in the document indicated trends and provided the Commission with a picture of the state of drug abuse in a country for a given period.
535. The representative of France said that the Division's report on abuse of drugs was a noteworthy compilation of the data available, although it did not reflect the actual situation with respect to the illicit traffic.
536. The representative of Sweden stated that the note by the Secretary-General on drug abuse was a useful document. It was, however, obvious that the material which it contained was out of date and that more useful evaluations could have been made if Governments had. provided fuller information. A better reporting system was essential. For that purpose, clearer instructions needed to be given to Governments on the type of information to be provided. The information which could be obtained from the new forms did not seem to be adequate.
537. The representative of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics stressed the value of the document. He said that although the data were not recent he still considered them important and necessary, since they made it possible to carry out a comparative analysis with past statistics and establish the world-wide trends. In his view, there was no other document containing such summarized data covering all countries of the world.
538. The United Kingdom representative noted that the document under consideration was one of a series; others had. preceded it and others would follow, providing perspective from which trends could be determined.
539. The representative of ICPO/INTERPOL informed the Commission that his organiza tion had recently adopted a simple statistical model on the lines of that used by the United Nations for collecting data about drug abusers which included, inter alia, the age, profession and type of drug used.
Recent Developments
540. Several representatives and. observers gave an account of the most recent developments concerning drug abuse in their countries.
(a) AFRICA
541. The representative of Kenya said that, in his country, cannabis was still the most prevalent drug misused. However, a few people in the medical profession and
- 133 - others with a history of addiction of therapeutic origin abused or were addicted to opiates. No law in Kenya required the compulsory registration of drug addicts, but questionnaires were sent out by the Ministry of Health to all registered doctors and pharmacists requesting particulars of known or suspected addicts to narcotic drugs. The answers to the last questionnaire pointed to a considerable drop in the number of addicts. The figures relating to prosecutions of drug abusers, including persons prosecuted for possession of cannabis were 3,402 in 1969, 2,945 in 1970 and 3,397 in 1971.
542. The observer for South Africa stated that, since March 1972, amphetamines had been included among the list of prohibited drugs. In South Africa the greatest abuse was made of cannabis, which constituted the most serious problem. Institutions for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts had been set up under the Act of 6 December 1971. Comprehensive records of all drug addicts committed to those institutions were being maintained.
(b) THE AMERICAS
543. The representative of Canada stated that the use of heroin continued to rise - 4,655 cases in 1970, 6,425 in 1971 and 8,200 (incomplete figures) in 1972 - while the age of users continued to fall. Out of the 8,200 users in 1972, 612 had been under the age of 20. That increase in known younger users was a continuing trend. In 1971, 401 had been under 20; in 1970 only 194. The number of persons convicted of violating narcotic laws with respect to heroin had shown a similar increase. Information available clearly showed a sharp rise in illicit cocaine use in Canada. In 1972, over 8,000 g, plus over 400 dosage units of cocaine had been seized in Canada. Although the information on cannabis for 1972 was not complete, 10,480 cannabis offences had already been reported during that year, as compared with 12,045 in 1971 and 10,017 in 1970. Convictions involving cannabis indicated a similar situation. In 1972, 8,265 had been recorded, as compared with 9,478 in 1971, and 6,270 in 1970. Those figures might indicate a levelling-off of cannabis use but it was too early to tell whether cannabis use in Canada was reaching its peak and levelling off or whether other factors were responsible for the figures.
544. The representative of Chile explained that coca-leaf chewing had never constituted a social problem in his country; the habit had been confined to some Peruvian and Bolivian workers employed in the Chilean sulphur mines, who had chewed coca leaves some decades before. The use of cannabis by young people was causing concern to the authorities, which were taking all the necessary steps to deal with the problem.
545. The representative of Jamaica said that, except for cannabis and cocaine, the Jamaican data had been compiled from an examination of prescription records. The references to morphine and methadone in the report for 1970 included cases of terminal illnesses where the only treatment was analgesia produced with narcotic drugs. In 1971, the figure had fallen from 38 to 19. The references in the report to pethidine related mainly to nurses; overprescribing had been the main causative factor. The number of arrests for cannabis had remained fairly constant and the pro portion of persons under the age of 25 appeared to be increasing.
- 134 - 546. The representative of Mexico informed the Commission that the problem of drug abuse was the responsibility of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. Two bodies dealt with the problem: the Food, Beverage and Drug Control Board and the Mental Health Board. Moreover, the Mexican Division of Narcotic Drugs Control had. a Drug Addiction Section, which had. been established in 1934 to assist in and to ensure the medical treatment of morphine addicts. There were also 92 institutions throughout the Republic with specialized medical services for the treatment of drug addicts. Although precise statistics of the number of addicts were not available, the Mexican authorities were taking all the necessary steps to fill that gap. Registration of morphine and heroin addicts was compulsory and. physicians had. to report all cases before starting medical treatment. The National Council on Drug Dependence Problems had been established in 1971. It advised on all questions relating to drug dependence, organized information campaigns, promoted research and. proposed methods of prevention and treatment at the federal level. In order to supplement the work of the Council, the Mexican Centre on Drug Dependence Studies had been set up to promote and. co-ordinate scientific research.
547. The representative of Peru stated that the greatest problem of drug abuse existed in the mountainous areas of the Andes, where the coca-leaf chewing habit was very widespread. The Government of Peru was at present engaged in a major effort to introduce a farreaching land reform which, it was hoped, would have favourable repercussions on the drug problem. Given the nature of the territory in which the coca plant was grown, any attempt at effective. control would in present circumstances prove extremely difficult and its results would be of doubtful value.
548. The representative of the United States of America said that the trend in recent years had been towards more drug abuse but the quantitative increase had not been measured in exact terms. There had been increased support for efforts to deal with the drug abuse problem at the local, national and international levels. There was a growing awareness that the different aspects of the problem called for different techniques of control. The importance of providing a range of treatment and rehabilitation services was recognized. In the United States there had been, in 1972, 397 treatment programmes supported by the Federal Government which provided full or partial support for treatment to over 54,700 persons, apart from those using non-government facilities. Recent studies based on a sample of the United States population showed that 6 per cent of the 12-17 age group had at some time used heroin, as against 5 per cent for the older groups; for stimulants (except cocaine), depressants-hypnotics and major hallucinogens, all prevalence figures for "having ever used" were below 10 per cent, whatever the age group; for marihuana the predominant pattern among users was smoking of low-potency leaf material rather than resin; of the 12-17 age group, 14 per cent had at some time used marihuana and 15 per cent of the age groups of 18 and above. The cost of drug abuse in terms of human lives gave a country a measure of the seriousness of its drug problem and information on that point would make it possible to compare the experience of different countries; countries should therefore consider gathering information on drug-related deaths. The United States was now engaged in collecting such information and would make the results available to the Commission when the studies were completed.
- 155 - 549. The observer for Panama informed the Commission that, starting from 1974, Panama would maintain a register of drug addicts. Because of the systematic enforcement of the law against drug abusers in the two main cities (Panama and Colon), the illicit traffic of drugs had moved towards rural areas and towards the Costa Rican and Colombian borders.
(c) EUROPE
550. The representative of the Federal Republic of Germany gave an account of the present drug abuse situation in his country, an account which was based on estimates and therefore had to be treated with some caution. A representative enquiry carried out in 1972 in various Laender had shown that between 1 to 1.5 million juveniles had tried drugs at least once. About 10 per cent of those young people, belonging to the 15-25 age group, were considered as being in danger of becoming regular users. According to estimates, 10,000 to 12,000 juvenile drug addicts had to be regarded as regular drug abusers, temporarily or permanently incapable of work. It was estimated that 10 per cent of drug abusers were less than 14 years of age and 47 per cent between 15 and 21. The educational campaign carried out by the Federal Govern ment had contributed, particularly in the case of adults and adolescents, to a more critical attitude towards drugs. But there was a readiness for drug consumption among groups of apprentices, students in vocational training schools, and pupils of elementary schools. There were 464 drug advisory and treatment facilities in the Federal Republic of Germany, 118 of which received financial support from federal funds.
551. The representative of France informed the Commission of the situation in his country. There had been a deterioration since 1965, when only a few cases of drug addiction had been known, the turning point having been in 1969, when there had been 1,064 arrests for the use of narcotics, (an increase of 400 per cent over the previous year). That increase had continued, in 1970, with 1,637 arrests. In 1971 there had been only 944 arrests. But the curve had risen again in 1972, with 2,294 arrests by the police. If, on the basis of those figures, an extrapolation were made by multiplying the number of arrests by 10, it would give a population of 20,000 drug addicts in France, a figure which would be close to reality. The number of deaths was fairly lows 5 in 1970, 14 in 1971 and 6 in 1972. Drug addiction in France had four characteristics; (1) geographically speaking, it was located in the big cities, in university centres and in summer resorts; (2) the age of addicts was declining: 90 per cent of the addicts were under 25 years of age, though the number in the 25-30 age group was slowly increasing as younger addicts grew older; (3) all social classes, even the poorest, were involved; (4) heroin abuse had been increasing steadily since 1968, although there had been a stabilization in 1972.
552. The representative of Sweden described the drug abuse situation in his country. Cannabis was the most commonly abused narcotic drug. Central nervous system stimulants were still widely used, but a levelling-off or even a decrease was to be noted. Abuse of raw morphine (morphine base) had increased. The source of drugs abused was nearly always the illicit traffic, and. medical sources did not enter into the picture. The medical use of drugs under control had decreased steadily since 1959- The number of prescriptions for drugs under control in that year had been about 763,000, as against only 48,000 in 1971. A large-scale investigation had
- 136 - been carried out by the Institute of Military Psychology in 1969-1970 and 1970-1971 on drug abuse patterns among conscripts. The survey had covered 130,000 eighteen- year old men and its results had revealed abuse of thinners, trichloroethylene and. ether by sniffing as well as substantial abuse of sedatives and. alcohol. The investigation had shown that about 40 per cent of Swedish eighteen-year old men had. abused stimulants in one form or another at least once.
553. The representative of Switzerland described the results of two surveys which had. been carried out in Neuchatel and. Zurich since 1971, the latter survey having been subsidized by the federal authorities. The results of the Zurich survey had confirmed those of the Neuchatel survey. The number of questionnaires sent out had been 1,069: 154 (l6 per cent) of the young persona questioned admitted having taken drugs at least once. When the results for different groups were compared, it could be seen that 20 per cent of boys, 10 per cent of girls, 15 per cent of students and 10 per cent of apprentices had taken drugs at least once. Of the 154 consumers, 83 per cent had. stopped talcing drugs and. 17 per cent had continued; 61 per cent consumed cannabis, 24 per cent psychotropic substances, 9 per cent opiates and 6 per cent other substances. Some 3,680 persons had. committed offences under the federal narcotic laws in 1971, 302 individuals having taken opium, morphine or heroin. With regard to consumption habits among persons below 19 years of age, 2,077 had taken cannabis, 1,166 hallucinogens and 119 amphetamines. Particular attention was paid to prevention and information in Switzerland. In that connexion, the Swiss federal authorities were envisaging the establishment of a co-ordination centre; the draft revision of the narcotics law provided that the federal authorities would be responsible for those matters.
554. The representative of the USSR said that the social conditions prevailing in his country had, during the 50 years of its existence, created a favourable situation, which explained why drug addiction did not represent a special problem. Thanks to social conditions based on a socialist economy, the development of national cultures, compulsory education, full employment and a psychological climate in which everyone knew his country needed him, it had been possible for the individual to escape drugs. The analysis of drug addiction in each Republic showed that it was of therapeutic origin and that the cases were very few and. were limited to persons who were disabled or chronically sick. The law required any organization receiving information about an addict to notify the appropriate neurological dispensary. That establishment then had to take the necessary steps to establish whether the person concerned was a drug addict, in which case he was given the necessary treatment. The high proportion of beds, physicians and nurses per inhabitant ensured that every patient could be satisfactorily treated, including drug addicts. Registration cards had been compiled by the Ministry of Health for more than 20 years on the basis of a unified system, thus making it possible to follow trends and the number of cases in relation to the causes of addiction and the drugs used.
555. The representative of the United Kingdom said that the total number of addicts notified in 1971 had been 2,769. That figure showed a slight increase (of 108) over 1970 but a decrease as compared with 1968 and 1969. There had also been a small increase in the number of new addicts during the year (777 as against 711 in 1970). The number known to be still taking drugs at the end of the year, i.e. 31 December 1971, had also increased from 1,430 to 1,555. There had been a decrease
-137 - in the number of addicts taking heroin either alone or in combination with other drugs - 437 at the end of 1970 compared with 385 at the end of 1971.
556. The representative of Yugoslavia said that, until recently, the problem of drug abuse had not existed in his country. There had been a few sporadic cases of therapeutic origin. The phenomenon had made its appearance about four years ago, exclusively in the main urban centres. During the period 1967-1971, 526 addicts had. been registered at Belgrade; there might have been a few other cases that had not been recorded, but not very many, and. that did. not in any way constitute a social problem. The disquieting aspect of that development was the fact that almost 90 per cent of the abusers belonged to the 15-30 age group. The authorities had adopted a multiple approach to the problem and student associations had spontaneously taken the initiative of organizing seminars to explain the dangers of drug abuse to young people. There was hardly any illicit market in Yugoslavia; young abusers took what they could find, but there were in fact no "hard-core" addicts.
557. The observer for Denmark informed the Commission about the drug abuse situation in his country. During the last few years, surveys had been carried out among older schoolchildren, which had shown that there had been little or no increase in drug consumption since 1970. The drug problem among schoolchildren seemed to be mainly confined to cannabis. Some 30 per cent of the 15-25 age group had tried cannabis at least once, and about 4 per cent seemed to be more regular users. Only a very small percentage of schoolchildren had experimented with other drugs and there were no regular users in that category. During recent months, there had. been a slight increase in the use of amphetamines and other psychotropic substances, but, on the whole, interest in drug-taking among Danish schoolchildren seemed to be on the decline. There was, however, an estimated group of about 5,000 young people outside the school system who appeared to be taking various drugs, mainly by intravenous injection. That group was also distinguished by a large number of other social deviations. Heroin had not so far been introduced into Denmark, but morphine base was taken by injection in various concentrations. The Danish authorities believed in putting the emphasis on social and educational preventive measures; multi- disciplinary prevention, treatment and rehabilitation centres had been established which were intended not only for drug addicts but also for young people with other social problems.
558. The observer for Spain said that the figures for drug addiction in Spain given in the annual reports included not only the very small number of real addicts but the much larger number of patients who had. occasionally required treatment with medicines containing narcotic drugs. Most of such patients were receiving treatment under medical supervision. There were very few young people among them; many of them belonged to the 35-49 age group and even more to the age-groups over 50. The statistics for the last ten years showed a fall of about 20 per cent in the number of addicts. The decrease was particularly marked for the 35-49 age group. The annual statistics showed that the main drugs of abuse were morphine, methadone, dextramoramide and pethidine. Synthetic products represented slightly over 50 per cent of the total consumption. There had been an improvement in statistical methods and, for the past five years, cases of therapeutic consumption of prescribed medicaments containing narcotics had. been reported separately from other cases of drug-taking.
- 138 - (d) FAR EAST
559. The representative of India stated that progress towards the elimination of opium addiction in his country had been encouraging. The sale of opium to the public had been prohibited and a system for the registration of opium addicts had been introduced in 1958. Supplies of opium to addicts who could not be cured by medical care were strictly regulated on medical advice. The number of addicts had declined from 432,000 at the time when the system had been introduced to 87,945 in 1970, and there had been a further small decrease in 1971. Registered opium addicts were mostly in the older age groups. The production, sale and possession of cannabis resin was prohibited. The non-medical consumption of cannabis fruiting tops was now permitted in only five states and. the quantity that an individual could possess in those states was only 23 g. In accordance with the reservation which India had made when ratifying the Single Convention, the cultivation of cannabis was being progressively reduced. Unfortunately, however, India's efforts to ensure the gradual elimination of non-medical consumption were being thwarted by the influx of cannabis from over its borders.
560. She representative of Japan informed the Commission that heroin addiction had been virtually eliminated in Japan as a result of the stringent enforcement of the heavy penalties introduced in 1963 for addicts as well as pushers. Before 1963, it was estimated that there had. been 40,000 heroin addicts; in recent years the number of newly-detected addicts had been less than 100 a year. The abuse of stimulants had increased steeply in the past few years. During the period January to September 1972, 50 addicts had been discovered; 27 had been heroin addicts, of whom 25 had been detected in Okinawa or the Ryukyu Islands. Prior to 1971, Japan used to report cumulative figures of the number of known addicts, because the rate of relapse had been rather high at that time. More recently, however, the relapse rate had been negligible and all addicts were expected to be completely cured within some months of their discovery. Consequently, the cumulative figures previously reported to the united Nations no longer gave a true picture of the drug abuse situation in Japan.
561. The representative of Pakistan explained to the Commission that reliable statistics for opium addiction were not available because registration of addicts did not exist in Pakistan. That matter was under consideration by the authorities. Two sample surveys had recently been carried out in a limited area but their results had not been found satisfactory. Opium and cannabis posed the most serious drug abuse problems. The number of persons addicted to those drugs was not exactly known, but their consumption was restricted to the male population in the higher age groups. Owing to the strong social disapproval of drug abuse, schools, colleges and universities were free from the problem. There was, however, a risk of the younger generation becoming affected, by the drug problem as a result of the influence of young tourists.
562. The observer for Singapore said that, since 1970, drug abuse in Singapore had taken two forms, the first being the taking of Mandrax (methaqualone and diphenhydranine) pills, mainly by young people who obtained the pills from tourists and from migrant construction workers. The other was the smoking of cannabis, also among young people. New legislation was to be introduced shortly providing for heavy prison sentences and fines, as well as corporal punishment for traffickers,
- 139 - and requiring all persons entering Singapore to submit to certain tests. Addicts could be required to enter treatment centres for rehabilitation. Some counselling units had already been set up, and children in schools were given talks about the risks of drug-taking.
563. The observer for the Republic of Viet-Nam informed the Commission that, in the past two years, the drug abuse situation in his country had. worsened considerably. According to some reports, there were at present about 100,000 opium smokers or addicts injecting "liquid opium" intravenously. There were no official statistics of heroin or morphine addicts, although their number had been estimated at 11,000 to 15,000. The age of addicts had fallen sharply; in urban areas there were some in the 12-24 age group. Heroin addicts were usually found among the fairly well-to-do. Clandestine injectors of liquid opium were generally members of the less educated classes.
564. The representative of Indonesia informed the Commission that ganja, morphine and Mandrax were the most frequently abused drugs in his country. There was concern that the abuse of ganja, which was relatively cheap, would spread among young people belonging to the working class. Its abuse had hitherto been found among young people in the upper and middle classes. Extensive preventive educational programmes for parents, teachers and young people had been carried out since March 1972.
(e) BEAR AND MIDDLE EAST
565. The representative of Egypt said that the problem of drug abuse was too large and complex for Egypt to tackle alone. The number of drug addicts was continuously increasing. There was an abuse in the consumption of morphine-based, medicaments and. of amphetamines.
566. The representative of Turkey-said, that his Government had recently established a centre for drug abuse research as part of the 1973 programme of the third five- year plan for 1973-77. The centre, which would be attached to the psychiatric hospital for the Marmara region, would co-operate closely with the Institute of Pharmacology of the Faculty of Medicine and the Institute of Forensic Medicine at Istanbul.
567. The observer for Iran informed the Commission that drug addiction in Iran, which was largely confined to opium, was a matter of great concern to the authorities. The number of addicts had dropped from approximately 1.5 million about 7 1/2 per cent of the total population) in 1955 to around 200,000 or 300,000 about 1 per cent) at the present time. Registration of addicts had. been introduced in 1969 and was continuing. Approximately 110,000 persons were at present authorized to buy opium from the State for their personal use. Permits were generally issued to persons of over 60 years of age or to those suffering from a disease which rendered them incapable of undergoing disintoxication. Heroin addiction mostly affected young people from well-to-do families in the larger cities. No precise figures were available but it was estimated that the number of heroin addicts was around. 10,000. That number, however, was falling on account of the high cost of heroin and the difficulties of obtaining it, and heroin users were shifting to opium. Cannabis abuse did not present a serious problem.
- 140 - (f) OCEANIA
568. The representative of Australia said that the results of studies carried out in Australia on the use of psychotropic substances were rather alarming. There were two well-defined groups of drug abusers, one in the 18-25 age group and the other in the age group over 35. Cannabis, amphetamines, opiates, narcotics and LSD were the most prevalent drugs abused by young people. In the age group over 35. alcohol, barbiturates, analgesics, sedatives and tranquillizers were the drugs abused. A multidisciplinary pilot study was being carried out in the state of Victoria in order to assess the problem of drug abuse.
Pentazocine
569. The dangers of pentazocine were discussed by the Commission, which was informed by the WHO representative that its Expert Committee on Drug Dependence had, some four years ago, studied the situation concerning pentazocine and concluded that it was considered capable of producing mild physical and. somewhat greater psychic dependence but that it did not appear to be creating a public health problem. The World Health Organization had continued to collect information about evidence of misuse and. abuse, and the situation would have to be reviewed in the fairly near future.
Features of Drug Abuse
Psychotropic substances
570. There were very few data on the abuse of psychotropic substances in the annual reports of Governments. The Secretary-General could not, therefore, give the same analysis of trends and. patterns of the abuse of those substances, as he had. given at the previous session of the Commission.153/
571. There was a consensus of opinion in the Commission that the increase in the consumption and misuse of psychotropic substances (and some other psychoactive medicaments) was an alarming trend.
572. The main concern was the abuse of the central nervous system stimulants; several countries were already applying strict control measures and had arrested the rise in the consumption of amphetamine-type medicaments, but in some countries the illicit supply had been substantial. That was the situation in Sweden, where the 9,000 to 10,000 estimated drug abusers had made intravenous abuse of central nervous system stimulants, especially of phenmetrazine, and not of narcotics, as mentioned in the note by the Secretary-General.
573. The Commission was informed of the seizure of hypnotics, sedatives and tran quillizers in general and of the abuse of Mandrax in particular. It stressed the danger of those tablets which were particularly noxious when taken in association
153/ See report, twenty-fourth session, paras 240-262
- 141 - with alcohol and very harmful to youth. The Commission stressed the danger of Mandrax, which contained methaqualone and diphenhydramine, and noted that methaqualone had been placed in Schedule IV of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971.
574. Several delegations expressed their concern about the danger of benzodiazepines, which were not under control. The representative of Romania informed the Commission that the consumption of tablets containing 2 mg of diazepam had increased nine-fold during the period 1970 - 1972; the representative of Sweden said that diazepam was the main drug of choice of sedative abusers, a study conducted in his country had revealed that, in a group of sedative abusers, cases of the abuse of diazepam and chlordiazepoxide had. risen from 2 per cent in 1966 to 20 per cent in 1972, and he suggested that those substances should be placed under control, as had been recommended earlier by the WHO Expert Committee.
575. The representative of Romania stated that the abuse of psychoactive medicaments was increasing, but that the number of people addicted to those substances was unknowns the problem was how to track down new patients. Drug monitoring of adverse reactions to, and side effects of, medicaments (including tolerance and. dependence), which had been initiated by the World Health Organization, might be the answer to that problem.
576. The representative of France formally proposed that the idea of drug monitoring put forward by the representative of Romania should be made the subject of a recommendation by the Commission.
Some characteristics of the drug abuse situation
577. The Commission noted that in various parts of the world there seemed to be a trend towards multiple drug use and dependence among abusers. That trend was due partly to the availability of different types of drugs on the black market and partly to changes in the "taste" of takers, who experimented with a great variety of legal and illegal drugs. One of the main characteristics of young abusers was the consumption of several drugs at the same time.
578. The majority of members of the Commission noted that no social class was exempt from drug abuse and. that the phenomenon could not be attributed to a single cultural group or to a given social situation. Drug abuse was not strictly a youth phenomenon, nor could it be considered as a problem resulting solely from an illicit consumption of drugs. The excessive use of medically prescribed drugs had to be taken into consideration. Young people who had been drawn into drug taking out of curiosity or fashion, without the syndrome of addiction, must be distinguished from true addicts.
Research
579. The Commission was informed that, in addition to studies, some developed countries were carrying out fundamental research on drug abuse, such as the detailed analysis of data on 600 drug addicts being made by INSERM in France, the enquiries in the Swiss cantons of Neuchâtel and. Zurich, the study of prescriptions and the
- 142 - screening of conscripts in Sweden and the studies conducted in the United States of America to assess the extent and. patterns of drug abuse among young people,
580. The Commission was informed of the research activities of the United Nations Social Defence Research Institute, particularly of its projects on the drug abuse problem.
581. The Commission expressed the view that epidemiological studies such as those suggested by WHO should be conducted.
582. A draft resolution154 submitted by Australia, Canada, Egypt, Federal Republic of Germany, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, Sweden, Switzerland, Togo, Turkey, United States of America and Yugoslavia was introduced, by the representative of the United States.155/ The Commission adopted the draft resolution, as amended during the discussion, by 27 votes to none, with 3 abstentions. The text of the resolution reads as follows:
Resolution 10 (XXV): Drug Abuse
The Commission on Narcotic Drugs,
Considering that an expert review of information and the body of scientific research on drug abuse and the conclusions thereof will constitute a valuable working instrument which will help the Commission to carry out its responsibilities in this field more effectively,
Bearing in mind that the World Health Organization is the competent specialized agency within the United Nations system to examine epidemiological aspects of drug abuse,
1. Invites the World Health Organization to assist the Commission by preparing timely reports on the epidemiological patterns of drug abuse in order to enable the Commission to develop a more comprehensive view of the drug abuse problem;
2. Requests the Secretary-General to make avail able periodically to the World Health Organization all information concerning drug abuse that he might have.
583. Speaking in explanation of vote, the representative of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics stated that he had abstained because the representative of WHO had indicated that additional expenditure outside the approved budget might be required.
154/ E/CN.7/L.364/Rev.1
155/ See E/CN.7/SR.748 and 749 (Min. ) Treatment
584. The question of the advisability of methadone maintenance treatment was raised by the Commission.156/ That treatment was already practised in several countries, and others were considering the possibility of introducing it in their treatment programmes.
585. The representative of Canada said that, because of the considerable abuse of that drug by addicts, who attempted to obtain prescriptions from several doctors at the same time, his countrys narcotic control regulations had been amended in 1972 to provide that physicians might not prescribe methadone without prior permission from the Minister of National Health and Welfare. The introduction of those measures had. done much to correct the abuse that had developed with respect to methadone and had also ensured that addicts seeking help received appropriate treatment.
586. The representative of the United States of America stated that, in accordance with the policy of the President, treatment facilities and services had been significantly increased in his country. Methadone was viewed as one of many treatment modalities. A patient maintained on methadone in a supervised programme, though physically dependent on the drug, was not subject to other problems normally associated with heroin addiction and could conduct the ordinary activities of living. In 1972, new regulations on methadone maintenance had been introduced. Methadone maintenance was voluntary, criteria for admission to programmes had been established, limitations on prescriptions had been set and. medical confidentiality had been ensured. The inclusion of supportive services in the methadone programmes was compulsory.
587. The representative of the United. Kingdom stated that in his country it had. been found that methadone maintenance enabled some addicts to move towards a more stable position in society.
583. The representative of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics said that to administer methadone did not mean treating a patient but amounted to making a "deal" with him to the detriment of his life and health; it was always easier to supply methadone to an addict than to detoxify him. The problem of methadone addiction should be examined as soon as data became available, since the documentation discussed at the current session already referred to drug addiction caused by methadone treatment.
589. The representative of the United States of America informed the Commission of recent developments relating to opiate antagonists and to the pharmacological evaluation of long-acting acetylmethadol.
156/ See also para.176 above
- 144 - 590. The representative of the International Arab Narcotics Bureau of the League of Arab States recalled that, at a previous session,157/ the Commission had. noted that Egypt was one of the countries in the Hear and Middle East region which had the greatest drug abuse problem and that treatment was inadequate. The Egyptian Minister of Health had recently ordered the setting up of a committee of experts from the Ministries of Health and Social Affairs to establish simple principles for the treatment, reintegration and social rehabilitation of addicts. Another committee had been set up in the Ministry of Social Affairs to study and evaluate drug abuse as a social scourge and to find solutions by establishing programmes of prevention and information.
Terminology
591. The question of terminology was raised by the Commission. Several delegations were of the opinion that there ought to be clearer definitions of the terms "drug addiction" and. "drug abuse". It was also pointed out by the Commission that the word "drug", as used in the report of a WHO Study Group on "Youth and Drugs",158/ was far too broad and could be applied to many substances, even to food itself.
157/ See report, twenty-third session, para.245
158/ "Youth and Drugs", WLd.Hlth.Org.techn.Rep).Ser., 1973, No.516
- 145 -
CHAPTER X
PROGRAMME OF WORK AND PRIORITIES 159/
592. The Commission took note of paragraphs 119 and 120 of the report of the Division.
593. The Commission noted that, in accordance with the instructions of the General Assembly, a continuing effort had been made to simplify and shorten the documents prepared by the Division, in particular those dealing with illicit traffic and drug abuse.
594. In accordance with resolutions of the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly, the Commission maintained its practice of having its meetings recorded in minutes.
595. The preparations for the coming into force of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, the implementation of the Plan for Concerted Short-Term and Long-Term Action against Drug Abuse and the operation of the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control, which had been established by the Secretary-General following decisions taken successively by the Commission, the Council and the General Assembly, were developments with an obvious impact on the programme and priorities of the Commission and had to be added to the list of first priorities drawn up at previous sessions of the Commission.
596. The Commission heard a statement by the observer for Belgium in which he emphasized the difficulties encountered in obtaining a sufficient supply of opium for medical purposes. The representative of India confirmed that there was in fact a great shortage of opium and that it was not possible to meet the demand. He therefore proposed, and the Commission agreed, that the following item should be added, as a matter of first priority, to the agenda of the Commission's next session: "Poppy cultivation under properly controlled conditions so as to meet the world's requirements of opium for medical and scientific purposes".
597. Summing up the subjects mentioned during the debate as being those which should receive priority consideration, the Chairman suggested that the following items might be considered for the agenda of the next regular session: illicit traffic; drug abuse (drug addiction); operations financed by the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control; the report of the International Narcotics Control Board; the form of annual reports; poppy cultivation under properly controlled conditions so as to meet the world's requirements of opium for medical and scientific purposes; scientific research. If the Commission's next session was a special session in 1974, the question of the periodicity of the Commission's sessions should be added to the list as a matter of first priority.
159/ Agenda item 8; E/CN.7/549, paras.119-120 (see E/CN.7/SR.743, 746 and 747(Min.))
- 147 - 598- The Commission noted the growing interest shown by a number of Governments, intergovernmental and international bodies, as well as by the general public, in the struggle against drug abuse. The representative of the International Council on Alcohol and Addictions described the activities of her organization. She spoke of the usefulness of non-governmental organizations and suggested that they should he more involved in international action against drug abuse. While the Commission felt that those efforts were encouraging and useful, it expressed the view that there was a risk of duplication, wastage and overlapping and that the co-ordination of activities should be improved.
599. The representatives of France, Mexico and the United Kingdom submitted a draft resolution for adoption by the Economic and Social Council l60/ concerning the co-ordination of the struggle against drug abuse. The Commission adopted the draft resolution, as amended during the discussion, by 25 votes to none, with 3 abstentions. The text of the resolution reads as follows:
Resolution 11 (XXV): Co-ordination of activities of international organs and organizations in the struggle against the abuse of drugs
The Commission on Narcotic Drugs
Recommends the adoption of the following draft resolution by the Economic and Social Council;
[For this part of the text of the resolution, see chapter XII, draft resolution F.]
600. The Commission gave special attention to the question of the periodicity of its sessions. By its resolution 1156 (XLI), the Council had, inter alia, decided that functional commissions, including the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, should meet biennially, but that the Council might decide to convene a special session of a commission between its regular sessions, if the need arose. The Commission had already considered the impact of that resolution on its programme and priorities, in particular, at its twenty-first and twenty-second sessions 161/. TWO special sessions had been held in 1970 in accordance with Council resolution 1156 (XLI).
601. A number of delegations expressed the view that the Commission could not fulfil its mandate with a biennial cycle of sessions. The arguments supporting that view were summed up by the representative of Mexico, who introduced a draft resolution submitted by Chile, Egypt, India, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru and
160/ E/CN.7/L.354 161/ See reports, twenty-first and twenty-second sessions, chapter VIII
- 148 - Thailand 162/. He outlined the difficulties of the biennial cycle, referring first to the fact that the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, had been drafted on the assumption that the Commission would meet annually; thus, the reports to be furnished by parties to the Secretary-General were annual reports, and, under article 15, the annual report of the International Narcotics Control Board had to he submitted to the Council "through the Commission, which may make such comments as it sees fit". The work of the Division of Narcotic Drugs and of the Commission was being impaired by the biennial cycle, since the documents which the Commission had at its disposal, especially those relating to illicit traffic and drug abuse, contained obsolete information and were often of merely historical interest. The Commission was the only international body dealing with illicit traffic on a world wide basis and it could not fulfil its very important policy-making functions of keeping that traffic under review and adopting the relevant decisions if it could not follow the actual variations in that traffic as closely as possible. The Commission also had to keep watch on drug abuse, and the situation in that respect changed rapidly and could not be assessed on a two-year basis. In addition, the Plan for Concerted Short-Term and Long-Term Action against Drug Abuse and the operations of the Fund set up to facilitate its implementation had to be followed with the closest attention and that was obviously impossible if the Commission met only every two years.
602. The representative of Mexico said he was well aware of the economy policy which had prompted the decision of the Economic and Social Council but thought that such a policy should not be carried to the point at which it hampered the fulfilment of such an important international duty as the struggle against drug abuse. He also pointed out that the resumption of annual sessions would be less costly than the holding of special sessions, which, since they were not covered by regular appropriations from the United Nations budget, involved recourse to temporary assistance, thus making them twice as expensive as regular sessions. The draft resolution submitted to the Commission would bring that situation to the Council's attention and would recommend to it the adoption of a resolution in which it would decide that "the Commission on Narcotic Drugs should meet annually and hold its regular session not earlier than March, so that it may carry out its functions and fulfil its responsibilities in the most effective manner possible."
603. A number of representatives expressed agreement with the spirit and purpose of the draft resolution, as outlined in the preamble, but disagreed with the operative part. It was argued that if a system of annual sessions was advocated, the first such session for which provision could be made in the regular budget at a cost lower than that of a special session could not take place until 1976, so that there would be no Commission session between 1973 and 1975. What was needed was a solution to a state of emergency: a meeting of the Commission in 1974 (such a meeting could only be a special session). The question was whether a sufficiently strong case could be made at the present time for a modification of the Council's
162/ E/CN.7/L.353
- 149 - decision. The representative of the United Kingdom did not believe that that was so, since some of the arguments derived from the implementation of the 1961 Convention had already been valid at the time the Council had taken its decision on the biennial cycle; the biennial system had not in fact been given a trial, since two special sessions and two international conferences had taken place since the Council's decision, and there was a need to reorganize the procedure for reporting and the work of the Commission and the Division of Narcotic Drugs in general, so that the difficulties created by the biennial cycle could be overcome. Conversely, a case could be made for holding a special session in 1974.
604. The idea of replacing the request for annual sessions by a request for a special session in 1974 was embodied in an amendment submitted by France and the United States of America to the above-mentioned draft resolution 163/. The amendment proposed that the operative part of the draft resolution recommended for adoption by the Council should state that the Council "decides that, pending further study by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the most effective means of discharging its responsibilities, the Commission shall meet in March 1974 in addition to its session scheduled for 1975.". In introducing the amendment, the representative of the United States of America reiterated the argument that the Commission had to deal with urgent matters, such as illicit traffic, drug abuse, the Plan for Concerted Short-Term and Long-Term Action against Drug Abuse, the operation of the Fund, the consideration of the report of the International Narcotics Control Board and the measures to be taken in preparation for the entry into force of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances. The sponsors of the amendment desired to give Governments an opportunity to study all the possibilities which might facilitate the proper discharge of the Commission's functions but at the same time desired a solution to an emergency situation. A special session of two weeks might be envisaged, the agenda of which would be limited to the above-mentioned items. The representative of Pakistan said that the financial implications of a special session seemed to be very high and that all possibilities of reducing the cost should be considered. In reply to that point, it was stated that a two-week session would be easier to insert in the calendar of conferences and that the cost might thus be reduced not only because of the shorter duration but also because less temporary assistance would be needed.
605. A number of representatives took the view that, while the periodicity of the Commission's sessions should be modified, the question needed careful consideration and that, in any case, the first step was to ensure that a session should take place in 1974. Finally, the sponsors of the draft resolution, the sponsors of the above-mentioned amendment and the sponsors of several other amendments submitted during the debate agreed on a preamble which embodied the spirit and most of the text of the corresponding part of the original draft resolution, and on an operative part under which the difficulties encountered by the Commission in fulfilling its functions with a system of biennial sessions were drawn to the Council's attention.
163/ E/CN.7/L.363
- 150 - Under the operative part of the draft resolution proposed for adoption by the Council, the latter would decide that, pending further study by the Commission of the question of annual sessions, the Commission should meet in 1974, after February, in addition to the session scheduled for 1975.
606. The representative of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics expressed his opposition to that text. A proposal that the Commission should hold annual sessions had already been submitted at the 1971 Conference for the Adoption of a Protocol on Psychotropic Substances, but had been rejected, and such a proposal had not even been submitted at the Conference held in 1972 to consider amendments to the Single Convention, 1961. The Economic and Social Council and other United Nations organs had repeatedly emphasized the need for economy, and he himself had criticized resolutions which entailed additional expenditure under the United Nations budget. Besides, the Commission had already envisaged the possibility of a vote by mail and the feasibility might be explored of mailing the report of the International Narcotics Control Board to the members of the Commission for their comments.
607. The Commission adopted the draft resolution, as amended during the discussion, by 25 votes to 3, with 1 abstention. The text of the resolution reads as follows:
Resolution 12 (XXV): Periodicity of sessions of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs
The Commission on Narcotic Drugs,
Being aware of the gravity of the drug problem in all its aspects and manifestations,
Bearing in mind the obligations laid down in the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, in particular the obligations under articles 3 and 15 of that Convention,
Bearing in mind also the similar obligations which will derive from the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, when that instrument enters into force,
Recognizing that various difficulties have arisen in fulfilling these obligations satisfactorily, difficulties which have complicated the performance of the functions of the Commission on Narcotic Drags and the proper discharge of its responsibilities,
Considering that most of the difficulties stem from the fact that the Commission on Narcotic Drugs meets biennially and not at the appropriate date,
Considering also the urgent matters discussed under the item entitled "Programme of work and priorities",
1. Decides to include this item in the provisional agenda of its next session and to discuss it as a matter of high priority;
- 151 - 2. Deems it likewise advisable to bring this situation, with all due respect, to the attention of the Economic and Social Council and takes the liberty of recommending to the Council that it adopt the following draft resolution:
[For this part of the test of the resolution, see chapter XII, draft resolution G.]
608. During its consideration of this item, the Commission heard, on 5 February 1973, a statement made on behalf of the Secretary-General by the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, informing it of a new organizational pattern for the operation of the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control 164/.
609. The Commission decided, on the proposal of its steering committee, that it should comment on that statement and many representatives did so 165/.
610. While all the representatives who spoke on the subject emphasized the importance of the statement, a number of them declared that they were not in a position to present substantive observations and reserved their Government right to do so at a later date in an appropriate manner. Mention was made of using the diplomatic channel, of consultations between Governments, of a discussion at the appropriate session of the Economic and Social Council, and of the inclusion of the subject as an item for the next session of the Commission, especially if there were a special session in 1974.
611. Several arguments were given for the postponement of a substantive debate on the subject. Legal questions could be raised concerning the action taken. There was also the question of budgetary implications: would the cost of the new arrangement be borne by the Fund or by the regular budget of the United Nations? Would it not be necessary to present financial estimates of the cost to be incurred, particularly to the Council?
612. Several speakers also expressed misgivings in connexion with the timing of the statement, which had been made after discussion of the agenda items to which it mainly referred; had the statement been presented earlier, their positions might have been different. Replying to the question thus raised, the Secretariat informed the Commission that the final text of the statement had been received by the Director-General at the end of the week preceding the Monday on which the statement had been read, the reason being that consultations had been in progress in New York concerning its contents; the Director-General had taken the first opportunity to read it to the Commission.
164/ See annex IV (see also E/CN.7/SR.743(Min.)) 165/ E/CN.7/SR.749(Min.)
- 152 - 613. A number of speakers expressed surprise at the reorganization envisaged and recalled that the Fund had been established on the recommendation made by the Commission at its second special session in 1970. When the Council had considered the report of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs on its twenty-fourth session, which included the aide-memoire of the Secretary-General (in annex VI), it had agreed on an administrative arrangement. Since all Governments had been informed of the establishment of the Fund and of that administrative arrangement by the aide- memoire of the Secretary-General of 26 March 1971, some representatives felt that Governments should have been consulted on the contemplated modification of that arrangement.
614. Many representatives expressed the belief that the new organizational arrangement would in fact encroach upon the role of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, as defined in the Council resolution by which it had been established, and upon the role of the Council as the co-ordinating body for all economic and social activities of the United Nations. The Commission had hitherto had the responsibility for issuing guidelines for the Fund's operations; it was through the Commission that reports from the fund were transmitted to the Council, so that the Commission had the opportunity of expressing its criticism and/or approval. Under the new organizational arrangement, the Executive-Director would have complete authority to adopt or reject projects without any control from a body representative of Governments, since the new committee envisaged would only be an advisory committee and the Division of Narcotic Drugs would exercise only an advisory role, whereas it had hitherto had the duty and responsibility of planning and, in some cases, executing projects. That substantial reduction of the Division's role involved a corresponding decrease in the degree of control it could exercise over the Fund's operations.
615. Replying to the question thus raised, the Secretariat stated that the Secretary-General had been entrusted with a Fund and had had to establish an administrative system for its management. That had already been done at the inception of the Fund and the statement outlined certain changes in the administrative system following the first two years of experience. The Secretary- General had taken the opportunity of the session to inform the Commission of those changes. Concerning the Commission's mandate with regard to activities financed by the Fund, there was nothing in the statement bearing on any changes in the Commission's mandate with regard to such activities. The Commission's mandate was, and would, of course, continue to be laid down by the Economic and Social Council.
616. Some representatives said that the proposed advisory committee should not he composed of international civil servants only, as indicated in the statement. Consultations of that kind could be undertaken on an informal basis. In their view, an advisory committee should comprise representatives of Governments; in particular, a representative of a Government requesting assistance should sit on such a committee. An advisory committee of that kind would also obviate the need to appoint regional representatives and thus eliminate the possibility of friction. Expertise was valuable but only if it was exercised in co-operation with the Government of the country to which it was offered. In that connexion, one delegation expressed the view that the Commission had been acting, and would continue to act, as
-153 - the intergovernmental advisory body to the Economic and Social Council in relation to the Fund and that, in performing that function, it would continue to comment and advise on current and future programmes and priorities and to monitor the Fund's progress.
617. Summing up the debate, the Chairman said that the subject had called forth comments in the Commission because most members had felt concerned by the envisaged re-organization of the Fund. A number of representatives had reserved their Government's positions others had expressed concern at the timing of the announcement, and specific suggestions had been made for improving the administration of the Fund.
618. The Chairman expressed the hope that those suggestions would be carefully examined by the Secretary-General, and added that the main source of contention had related to the role of the Commission: the Commission wished to continue considering reports from the Fund; it had done a great deal of work in the struggle against drug abuse and would continue to do so. It was his firm conviction that that was the Commission's intention.
619. The Chairman said he thought he was expressing the unanimous feeling of the Commission in paying a tribute to the competence and dedication of Ambassador C.W.A. Schurmann, Personal Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control, in the discharge of his responsibilities during his tenure of office. He expressed the gratitude of the Commission for the substantial contribution Mr. Schurmann had made to the fight against drug abuse. Mr. Schurmann thanked the Commission for its words of appreciation and support and expressed his best wishes for the continuation of the work.
- 154 - CHAPTER XI
LIST OF RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE COMMISSION
(INCLUDING DRAFT RESOLUTIONS RECOMMENDED BY THE COMMISSION FOR ACTION BY THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL)
Number Title Reference
1 (XXV) Report of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs Chap. I, para 26 Chap. XII, A
2 (XXV) Convention on Psychotropic Substances Chap. II, para 100 1971: ratifications and accessions Chap. XII, B
3 (XXV) Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, Chap. II, para 101 and 1972 Protocol Amending the Single Chap. XII, C Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961: ratifications and accessions
4 (XXV) Keeping in force the administrative Chap. II, para 159 arrangements to ensure the full Chap. XII, D technical independence of the International Narcotics Control Board
5 (XXV) Bulletin on Narcotics Chap. IV, para 275
6 (XXV) Establishment of a sub-commission on Chap. VIII, para 487 illicit traffic in the Near and Middle East
7 (XXV) Illicit traffic [Establishment of a Chap. VIII, para 487 sub-commission on illicit traffic Chap. XII, E in the Near and Middle East]
8 (XXV) Ad Hoc Committee for the Far East region Chap. VIII, para 497
9 (XXV) Action in South America Chap. VIII, para 501
10 (XXV) Drug abuse Chap. IX, para 582
11 (XXV) Co-ordination of activities of international Chap. X, para 599 organs and organizations in the struggle Chap. XII, F against the abuse of drugs
12 (XXV) Periodicity of sessions of the Commission Chap. X, para 607 on Narcotic Drugs Chap. XII, G
- 155 -
CHAPTER XII
DRAFT RESOLUTIONS RECOMENDED BY THE COIMMISSION FOR ACTION BY THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL
A
Report of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs 166/
The Economic and Social Council
Takes note of the report of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs on its twenty- fifth session.
£
Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971: ratifications and accessions
The Economic and Social Council,
Recalling its resolutions 1658 (LII) and 1665 (LII) and resolution 3013 (XXVII) of the General Assembly, and in particular paragraph (c) of this resolution,
Convinced that action against illicit traffic and drug abuse (narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances) will be more effective when the control system for narcotics is supplemented by appropriate measures in the field of psychotropic substances,
Recommends to Governments which are not yet parties to the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 to ratify or accede to this Convention.
C
Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961 and 1972 Protocol Amending the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961: ratifications and accessions
The Economic and Social Council,
Recalling General Assembly resolution 3013 (XXVII) of 18 December 1972, in particular, paragraphs (a) and (b) of the operative part of this resolution,
Deeply concerned over the threat to human dignity and society posed by the continuous abuse of narcotic drugs,
166/ See para. 15 above
-157 - Recognizing that the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, provides the international legal framework for the fight against abuse of narcotic drags,
Recognizing in addition that the 1972 Protocol Amending the Single Convention, 1961, is intended to strengthen that legal framework,
Recommends to Governments which have not already done so:
(i) To ratify the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, or to accede thereto,
(ii) To ratify the 1972 Protocol Amending the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, or to accede thereto.
D
Keeping in force the administrative arrangements to ensure the fall technical independence of the International Narcotics Control Board
The Economic and Social Council,
Bearing in mind article 9, paragraph 2, of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, which enjoins the Council, in consultation with the International Narcotics Control Board (hereinafter referred to as the Board), to make all arrangements necessary to ensure the full technical independence of the Board in carrying out its functions,
Recalling its resolution 1196 (XLII) of 16 May 1967 by which it approved administrative arrangements proposed by the Secretary-General in consultation with the Board to ensure the Board's full technical independence, such arrangements to remain in force to 1 March 1974,
Taking into account that the Secretary-General and the Board have agreed that these arrangements should continue in force, and
Noting also resolution I of the United Nations Conference to Consider Amendments to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which expresses the view that the arrangements now in force meet the wishes of the States parties to the Single Convention and to the earlier conventions still in force and recommends that these procedures should be continued,
1. Decides that the administrative arrangements contained in the annex to its resolution 1196 (XLII) should continue in force until the Council decides otherwise in accordance with the procedure provided for in paragraph 20 of those arrangements; and
2. Bequests the Secretary-General to continue to implement the arrangements, taking into account the character of the Board's functions and the importance of that organ's full technical independence in the performance of its responsibilities.
- 158 - E
Illicit Traffic 167/
The Economic and Social Council,
Noting that the Commission on Narcotic Drugs decided at its twenty-fifth session to establish a sub-commission on illicit drug traffic and related matters in the Near and Middle East (resolution 6 (XXV)),
Having regard to rule 66 of the rules of procedure of its functional commissions,
Authorizes the establishment of the afore-mentioned sub-commission.
F
Co-ordination of activities of international organs and organizations in the struggle against the abuse of drugs 168/
The Economic and Social Council,
Recalling resolution 3014 (XXVII) adopted by the General Assembly on 18 December 1972,
Considering that as a result, in particular, of the efforts of the United Nations, Governments and public opinion are now generally interested in the struggle against the abuse of drugs,
Considering that this social scourge is nevertheless continuing to grow and to spread to a larger number of countries,
Considering that action by Governments and international organs and organizations must be taken simultaneously on all fronts: prevention of abuse, repression of the illicit traffic, control of production, manufacture, distribution and consumption, development of training and education, scientific research, treatment and rehabilitation,
Considering that such multidisciplinary action calls for a better co-ordination of all efforts in order to avoid duplication, wastage and overlapping that might impair the effectiveness of the struggle against this social scourge,
167/ E/CN.7/L.356 and L.356/Rev.1 168/ See para. 599 above
-159 - Considering that it has not proved possible to achieve this co-ordination adequately during the past two years, as demonstrated by the increasing number of international meetings held on this subject, sometimes on the same dates,
Having regard to the urgent need to improve the co-ordination of the measures taken on this subject, so that the knowledge and experience gained can be widely disseminated and utilized in the best interests of all,
Requests that the Secretary-General should study this problem of co-ordination and attempt to solve it in the light of the considerations set out above and to report on the subject.
G
Periodicity of sessions of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs
The Economic and Social Council,
Noting with concern the gravity of the drug problem in all its numerous manifestations,
Bearing in mind the obligations imposed on the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the International Narcotics Control Board by the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961,
Bearing in mind also the fact that biennial sessions do not permit the Commission to fulfil certain of its responsibilities,
Bearing in mind also the urgent matters referred to under the heading of "Programme of work and priorities" in the report of the Commission on its twenty-fifth session,
Recalling its resolution 1156 (XLI) concerning the review and reappraisal of the Council's role and functions, by which it decided that the functional commissions should meet biennially,
Decides that, pending further study by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the question of holding its regular sessions annually with a view to carrying out its functions and fulfilling its responsibilities more effectively, this Commission shall meet in 1974, if possible after February, in special session in addition to its session scheduled for 1975.
- 160 - ANNEX I
TABLE SHOWING THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMISSION AS AT 1 JANUARY 1973 AND THE DATES OP EXPIRY OF TERMS OP OFFICE
MEMBERS Term of office expires Members on 51 December Argentina 1975 Australia 1973 Brazil 1973 Canada 1975 Chile 1973 Egypt 1973 France 1975 Germany, Federal Republic of 1975 Hungary 1975 India 1975 Indonesia 1973 Jamaica 1975 Japan 1975 Kenya 1975 Lebanon 1975 Mexico 1975 Morocco 1973 Nigeria 1975 Pakistan 1975 Peru 1975 Romania 1975 Sweden 1975
- 161 - Members Term of office expires on 51 December
Switzerland 1975 Thailand 1975 Togo 1973 Turkey 1975 Union of Soviet Socialist Republics 1973 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 1973 United States of America 1975 Yugoslavia 1975
- 162 - ANNEX II
LIST OF REPRESENTATIVES AND OBSERVERS AT THE TWENTY-FIFTH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION
A
Representatives
Argentina Mr. Lorenzo A. Olivieri Dr. Humberto Mesones * Lt.-Col. D. Anibal Pastor *
Australia Mr. J.T. O'Connor Mr. D.W. Murdoch * Mr. R.M. Peek *
Brazil Dr. Wantuyl Corrêa Cunha Mr. Antonio Amaral de Sampaio *
Canada Dr. R.A. Chapman Mr. W.M. Weekes * Mr. T.R. McKim * Dr. D.M. Smith * Mr. G.P. Wilson ** Mr. L.H.J. Legault ** Mr. R.D. Auger ** Insp. G.L. Tomalty **
Chile Mr. Victor Cereceda Mrs. E. Bucchi de Yepez *
Egypt Dr. Hamdy Elhakim. General A.H. El Saghir * Dr. H. Abdel Messih ** Dr. Zakaria El Cherif ** Mrs. S. Abou Steit **
France Mr. Charles Vaille Mrs. Germaine Hirlemann * Mr. F. Le Mouel ** Mr. Henri Nargeolet **
* Alternate ** Adviser
- 165 - Germany, Federal Republic of Dr. H. Danner Mrs. Renate Jost * Mr. Erich Strass * Dr. Eckehard Schober * Dr. Alexander Petri *
Hungary Dr. Béla Böles Dr. Janos Somogyvari * Dr. L. Kopetti Mr. Tamás Földeák *
India Mr. Jasjit Singh Mr. B.S. Chawla * Mr. N.N. Jha * Mr. Gauri Shankar * Mr. V. Sonalkar *
Indonesia Mr. E. Sibarani Miss P.M. Luhulima *
Jamaica H.E. Mr. H. Walker Dr. Alton Ellington * Miss F.M. Shilletto *
Japan Dr. Tsutomu Shimomura Dr. Nobuo Motohashi * Mr. Osamu Watanabe **
Kenya Mr. A.A. Ouma Mr. A.F. Owmor Tago *
Lebanon H.E. Mr. Mahmoud Banna Captain A. Saadeh * Mr. Samir Chatnma * Mrs. R. Homsy **
Mexico H.E. Mr. F. Castro y Castro Mr. J. Barona Lobato * Mr. Rudolfo Chavez ** Dr. Adan Punaro Rondanini **
Morocco Mr. Filali Abdallah Lahlou
Nigeria Mr. A.A. Oluwole Mr. T.A.A. Ajayi *
Pakistan Mr. Haseem Mirza Mr. Mohammed Javed Khan **
- 164 - Peru Mr. Octavio Sarango Mr. Luis Solari *
Romania Dr. Dumitru Dobrescu Mr. Ion Mateescu ** Mr. Mircea Manea **
Sweden Professor Bror A. Rexed Mr. Stig Brattström * Dr. Björn-Erik Roos ** Mr. Gunnar Krook ** Mr. Esbjörnson ** Mr. Lars Hulstrand ** Mr. Ingemar Stjenberg **
Switzerland Dr. J.-P. Bertschinger Mr. T. Kemeny * Mr. J. Benoit ** Mr. J. Schneeberger **
Thailand Mr. Chitra Posayanonda Mr. Nirut Chaikool * Dr. Somsong Kanchanahuta * Mr. Sakthip Krairiksh * Col. Chavalit Yodmani
Togo Dr. F. Johnson-Romuald
Turkey H.E. Mr. A. Coskun Kirca Mr. Resat Arim * Dr. Tevfik Alan * Mr. Refet Ergin * Mr. Turhan Firat * Mr. Aydemir Erman * Mr. Adem Karaelmas * Col. Muhlis Aksan ** Mr. Eyup Babacan ** Mr. Abdullah Pektas **
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Prof. E. Babaian Mr. E. Sviridov **
United Kingdom of Great Britain Mr. C.J. Train and Northern Ireland Mr. R. Kendall * Mr. A.J. Hawkes *
- 165 - United States of America Honorable J.E. Ingersoll Mr. Harvey E. Wellman * Mr. R.O. Egeberg, M.D. * Mr. Morton Bach ** Mr. L.H. Hoover, Jr. ** Miss Sheila Cody ** Miss Betty C. Gough ** Mr. Melvyn H. Greenberg ** Mr. S. McClintic ** Mr. James A. Rosen ** Mr. Jean Paul Smith ** Miss Candace L. Cowan ** Mr. Edward Noziglia **
Yugoslavia Mr. D. Hiioliĉ
B
Observers
Afghanistan Mr. Ghulam Farouk Fazli
Algeria Mr. Small Bouzar Mr. Ahmed Boudehri Mr. Bachir Chouiref
Austria Mr. Felix Mikl
Belgium Mr. B. Huyghe Mr. R. Philippart de Foy Bolivia Mrs. Vilma Banser Bulgaria Mrs. A. Kotchkova Burma Mr. Thaung Lwin Mr. Nyunt Maung Shein Chad H.E. Mr. John Abdulahad
China Mr. Meng Quin Mr. Hsing-Fa Kan Mr. Ching-mei Hsu
- 166 - Cuba Dr. Elva Rodriguez Mayor
Czechoslovakia Mr. J. Stahl
Denmark Mr. H.E. Khipschildt Mr. L.N. Hvidt Mr. H. Andersen Mr. V. Nissen
Dominican Republic Dr. José Patxot Vallejo
Finland Mr. Raimo Miettinen
Ghana Mr. T.E.C. Sagoe
Greece Mr. Georges Apostolopoulos Mr. Dionyssios Varonos Mr. Spyridon Kanellopoulos Mr. Nikitas Tzamouranis
Holy See H.E. Monsignor André Fougerat Mrs. M.-T. Graber-Duvemay
Iran Dr. H.A. Azarakhsh
Iraq Mr. Talal Al-Khudhairi
Italy Dr. Alberto Mollica Dr. Francesco Satriani Dr. Romano Capasso Dr. Piero Asian
Kuwait Captain F.A. Al-Fahed
Laos Mr. Mangkhala Manivong
Malaysia Mr. Muhammed Zainudin
Nepal H.E. Mr. P.L. Rajbhandary
Netherlands Mr. R.J. Samsom Mr. G.A.W. van Megen Mr. H.P. Vonhögen Mr. L.A.J.M. de Wit
New Zealand Mrs. V.R. Crutchley
-167 - Panama H.E. Mr. J.M. Espino-Gonzalez Dr. Lila Lee-Lugue
Philippines Mr. M.S. Aguillon
Poland Mr. Kazimierz Gobiec Mr. Mieczystaw Paszkowski Republic of Korea Mr. Eung-Ki Sim Republic of Viet-Nam Mr. Tran Van Nhieu Singapore Mr. Keng Boon Wee
South Africa Mr. M.H. Raath
Spain Mr. Agustin Eyries Valmaseda Mr. L.E. Ildefonso y Romo
Tunisia Mr. Mongi Fourati
Uruguay H.E. Mr. Augusto Legnani
C
United Nations
Personal Representative of the Secretary-General for the Mr. C.W.A. Schurmann United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control (UNFDAC)
Deputy to the Personal Representative Mr. R. Arnesen of the Secretary-General for UNFDAC
Executive Officer of UNFDAC Mr. A. Messeri
United Nations Conference on Mr. A. Megzari Trade and Development
United Nations Development Programme Mr. R. Etchats
United Nations Social Defence Mr. Peider Könz Research Institute Mr. J. Moore Mr. K. Elmhorn
United Nations Division of Mr. E. Hytten Social Affairs
- 168 - D
International Narcotics Control Board
Sir Harry Greenfield President Mr. L. Steinig Member Mr. J. Dittert Secretary Mr. S. Stepczynski Deputy Secretary
E
Specialized agencies
World Health Organization Dr. M.A. Akhmeteli Dr. V. Fattorusso Mr. C.-H. Vignes Dr. D.C. Cameron Dr. T.L. Chrusciel
International Labour Organisation Mr. N.E. Cooper Mr. E. Sackstein
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Mr. E.L. Greenshields
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Miss Nicole Friderich
Organization having a special agreement with the Economic and Social Council
International Criminal Police Mr. J. Nepote Organization (ICPO/INTERPOL) Mr. M. Mikkelsen Mr. R.E. Kendall
Other international organizations
Customs Co-operation Council Mr. Z. Naamani
International Arab Narcotics Bureau of the League of Arab States General A.A. El Hadeka
- 169 - H
Non-governmental organizations
Category II
International Conference of Catholic Charities (Caritas Internationalis) Mr. T. Szmitkowski
International Council on Dr. Eva Tongue Alcohol and Addictions Professor Bans Halbach Mr. Michael Oleinikoff
International Federation of Women Lawyers Miss H.A. Pfander
World Young Women's Miss A. Paquier Christian Association Miss D. Auerbaok
Roster
International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Dr. Marianne Schönenberger
- 170 - ANNEX III
STATEMENT BY MR. C.W.A. SCHURMANN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL IN CHARGE OF THE UNITED NATIONS FUND FOR DRUG ABUSE CONTROL (UNFDAC)
Mr. Chairman,
When I last had the honour and the pleasure of addressing the members of your Commission, the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control had only been in existence for six months. At that time I could not do much more than give a résumé of the happenings that had led to the establishment of the Fund, mention the "Plan for Concerted Action against Drug Abuse" that had been prepared by the Division of Narcotic Drugs in response to the wish expressed in General Assembly resolution 2719 (XXV) and the instructions contained in Secretary-General U Thant's aide-mémoire of 26 March 1971 , and inform the Commission that work on the preparation of sixteen smaller projects had started and that ten of them were actually in operation. In the year and a quarter that has passed since then considerable progress has been made.
You may remember that the original Plan for Concerted Action contained a total of some 160 projects and that the estimated cost of carrying out those projects amounted to roughly $95 million over a period of five years. There were 122 projects in the Plan originally approved by the Commission, but as a result of a joint meeting held with representatives of various specialised agencies, a number of new projects were added to the plan, which thereafter contained 160 projects. Although we remain convinced that action on that scale remains necessary, we have perforce had to set our provisional aims less high and to draft a programme that would, on the one hand, meet the most urgent needs for action and, on the other hand, be feasible within the means that we could reasonably expect for the first few years.
The programme, which has been amended several times as new contributions became available and new ideas were developed, consists at present of 69 projects. It is estimated that to carry it out as it stands will require an amount of roughly $22.5 million until the end of 1976. It is to be remembered, however, that many of the projects contained in the programme are pilot projects. What I mean by that is that they are small-scale undertakings intended to test in practice whether certain measures aimed at reducing drug abuse are appropriate and effective. It is inherent in the character of these projects that if the tests prove successful they will be followed immediately by large-scale application, which will demand a multiple of the amounts of money required for the pilot projects.
Moreover, the projects at present on our list form only a small part of the total of all projects which it is considered desirable to undertake during the Fund's first half decade. In other words, they are no more than a list of our most urgent priorities. In fact, the Fund has been seriously constrained by the shortage of resources in developing new projects. We should be actively working in a variety of countries with narcotics problems of one sort or another - traffic, dependence, illicit production - to help them design programmes to meet their problems. But in the absence of financial resources to help them, it would be unwise to generate
- 171 - project proposals which would remain "on the shelf". In our list of projects, we have included examples of typical countries in which programmes should he elaborated: Nepal, Laos, Viet-Nam, Bolivia, Peru, Morocco. That is by no means a complete list. We plan to offer assistance to those countries when we can foresee the possibility of really helping.
I therefore wish to emphasize that, because of the two sets of circumstances I have just mentioned, our list of projects is incomplete and the projects in the list are bound to become costlier. These considerations make it easy to see that the original estimates (which, incidentally, were in line with Secretary-General U Thant's Thant's assumption of contributions reaching $5 million annually during the first few years and$20 million per annum thereafter) were not exaggerated and may still be taken as an indicator of what UNFDAC will need if it is to perform efficiently and comprehensively the tasks for which it was created.
Alas, we have not yet reached the stage where we can state that it is reasonably certain that these amounts will be forthcoming.
Up to this moment, 21 Governments have contributed a total of $4,544,275 and this amount has enabled us to put into operation 33 projects at a total cost of $4,515,625 through the years 1972/73. This amount stated in the financial report as at January 15 is, as you will notice, higher than that mentioned on page 13 of document MNAR/10/72. The reason is that the amount I mention includes projects which were drafted after the MAR document was issued. I would also mention that I have just been informed that the Swedish Government has proposed to Parliament a further contribution of 200,000 Swedish kronor in addition to the contribution made last year. That figure is not yet included in the figure I mention.
Now, when a project of, say, three or five years' duration is started, it is, of course, not necessary to spend the total cost of such an enterprise at once. Nevertheless, the financial rules of the United Nations render it obligatory to set aside all moneys that the Fund has undertaken to commit, and these amounts, although held in its accounts, cannot therefore be used for any other purpose. This rule, eminently sensible in itself because it ensures that all commitments entered into will be met, results, in our case, in the immobilizing of assets that are sorely needed for the expansion of the programme.
The best way out of this dilemma would be for Governments to pledge contributions not just year by year but for a number of years ahead, as is done in UNDP. It is to be hoped that Member States will be willing to apply this same procedure to UNFDAC in order to enable it to undertake a larger number of projects in the certain knowledge that the amounts needed for their implementation will be available when they have to be spent. It is clear in this context how grateful I am for the statement made the other day by the representative of Australia that his Government's contribution of $100,000 would be repeated annually.
Fending this optimal solution, we have applied an interim measure, which consists of endeavouring to limit any commitments by UNFDAC to the costs of one year only, even if the projects for which the funds are committed are of longer duration. To do so is not always possible, as some expenditures must be earmarked for a longer period, as is the case with contracts of employment for experts who are unobtainable unless they are given a longer term of office.
- 172 - As to the contents of the UNFDAC programme, Mr. Micuta has reviewed for you the projects that are already under way. I would like to add to his statement that we, in the Fund, are most grateful to the Director of the Division and to his able staff (a number of them provided by UNFDAC) for the excellent co-operation we have had ... and continue to enjoy - from them in acting as the technical and operational arm of the Fund. With the same warmth and appreciation should be recorded the generous assistance we have had from various United Nations bodies and from specialized agencies. In particular I would mention UNDP, the United Nations Division of Social Affairs, the United Nations Social Defence Research Institute in Rome, FAO, the ILO,WHO and UNESCO. Great praise is also due to ICPO/INTERPOL for the valuable service it renders to the cause of law enforcement and suppression of illicit traffic in drugs in the framework of the UNFDAC programme.
It may interest the Commission to know the way in which UNFDAC and the operational bodies and agencies work together ON. this programme. It is roughly as follows.
Proposals for projects to be financed by UNFDAC are conceived and transmitted in one of throe ways .
First, there are the proposals that originate in action taken by the Fund itself, when visits by the head of the Fund to Governments result in a preliminary understanding that certain projects will be welcome. In that case the Fund requests the Division of Narcotic Drugs and the specialised agencies concerned to send a mission to study the situation and make recommendations. These then serve as the basis for an agreement with the Government to carry out one or more joint projects.
Secondly, the Division can - and frequently does - submit proposals fox- projects of its own to the Fund for approval.
Thirdly, the agencies often request the financial aid of the Fund for projects to be executed by them. In such a case the project is first passed on by the Fund to the Division for its technical advice.
Once a project is approved by the Fund either the Division or an agency (or a combination of agencies) is entrusted with the execution. If more than one agency co-operates on one project, it is the duty of the Division to see to it that the work is well co-ordinated and to act as a clearing house for the information gained.
When the project is in operation, the executing agency sends periodical progress reports to the Fund and these are then submitted to the Division for its technical scrutiny and comments.
Having said this much about the procedural side, I feel that I should now turn to that part of the programme that contains those projects for which no funds have as yet been committed. And let me add in parenthesis that the reason they have not been committed is that we have not got them.
- 173 - This part of the programme (our vision of the short-term future) falls into two groups.
The first one is listed in reference document MNAR/11/72, which has been made available to the Commission. It contains 32 projects at a total cost of $17,518,700, of which $3,052,000 will be required this year. They constitute therefore our most urgent priorities.
As members will notice, the largest items on this list are the country programmes for Lebanon, Afghanistan and Burma.
At the request of the Government of Lebanon, a mission composed of experts from the Division and from FAO visited that country in March and April 1972 and, in its report, dated 26 April 1972, recommended a scheme for replacing cannabis production.
Under this scheme, United Nations technical assistance would be closely co-ordinated with the Government's rural development and land reclamation programmes for the North Bekaa. The United Nations project would include comprehensive planning for development of water resources, reforestation, watershed protection, restoration of grazing land and related infrastructure. It would emphasize organization of farmer co-operatives and direct guidance to farmers in crop replacement by a United Nations field team.
At the time of the report the necessary funds for carrying out the project were not available - nor have they become available yet. It can be put into operation as soon as the money is there.
In Afghanistan, another mission composed also of experts from the Division and from FAO studied the situation at the request of the Royal Government and produced a report in December 1972. It made a variety of recommendations covering needed legislation, the organization and equipment of law enforcement services, the replacement of opium poppy cultivation by alternate crops, rehabilitation of drug abusers, and the administrative framework for conducting a campaign against production and trafficking in narcotic substances. There again we are waiting for the necessary funds. It is also our intention to try to obtain the co-operation of UNDP, of appropriate agencies and financial institutions and of various Governments in this difficult and costly operation.
The mission to Burma, about which Dr. Martens has spoken to you, again composed of experts from the Division and from FAO, followed my earlier visit to that country. All the members of the mission have not yet returned and we are at present awaiting their report.
Let me state here that we have been encouraged to undertake these crop- replacement projects (the most complex, long-running and costly in our repertoire) by the initial good progress that is being made in our first undertaking of that kind: the one in Thailand. The manner in which the Royal Thai Government is cooperating with us in this joint enterprise is beyond praise. I would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to that Government and to express the hope that the combined efforts of the Thais and the United Nations may benefit that country and serve as an example of what may be achieved in This field in other countries as well.
- 174 - The second group of our programme for the future is made up of those projects mentioned in the "Plan for Concerted Action" which have not - so far - been designated as urgent priorities. At the present moment I need say no more about them than that we regret not to have been able to include them in our priority list. That list will obviously be amended and expanded as we gain more experience and our financial capabilities increase.
To sum up, Mr. Chairman:
The Fund has established good working relationships with the other United Nations bodies directly concerned with drug abuse control: the Division of Narcotic Drugs and the International Narcotics Control Board and its secretariat, both of which sectors of the United Nations Secretariat have been reinforced with capable experts engaged with the financial assistance of UNFDAC.
It is also co-operating with the other United Nations bodies whose objectives encompass the control of drug abuse in a more indirect way: the Division of Social Affairs at Geneva and the United Nations Social Defense Research Institute in Rome.
With the specialized agencies that carry out our projects continuous contact is maintained, not only through the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination and the special inter-agency meetings that have twice been held at Geneva (in the summers of 1971 and 1972), but also in day-to-day discussions, aimed at ensuring that projects in the same or contiguous fields are properly co-ordinated and that all the expertise that is available in the whole of the United Nations family is brought to bear on the planning and performance of the operations in the UNFDAC programme.
In short: the machinery has been set up and is in good working order.
A respectable number of projects are already in operation, or even completed.
A plan for future activities that urgently need to be set in motion is in readiness and waiting to be launched.
What then are we waiting for? Just one thing, Mr. Chairman: money. Practically all our present resources have been committed; until new funds arrive, we can go no further.
While expressing my gratitude to those Governments that have kept us going so far, I must therefore, of necessity, end this statement by appealing to them to continue their support and to all the others to join in this international campaign to contain, reduce and overcome the evil of drug abuse that threatens and hampers economic development and social well-being in so many parts of the world. They can do so, in the words of General Assembly resolution 3014 (XXVII), by giving "sustained support" and making voluntary contributions "in any form and according to their capacity".
What UNFDAC needs for the activities that are to be carried out is not so much an immediate inflow of cash as the certainty that the funds will be available when needed. Pledges of contributions, preferably for a number of years ahead, will meet this need. I trust they will be forthcoming.
- 175 -
ANNEX IV
STATEMENT BY MR. V. WINSPBARB GUICCIARDI DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE AT GENEVA TO THE COMMISSION ON NARCOTIC DRUGS AT ITS TWENTY-FIFTH : SESSION
5 February 1973
It is now just two years since the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control was inaugurated. Its creation has instilled new life and vigour into the international community's efforts to bring under more effective control the world-vide traffic in narcotic drugs. Through the Fund, much needed financial aid and leadership has been provided to supplement the efforts of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs, the International Narcotics Control Board and the Division of Narcotic Drugs, end to develop a comprehensive programme of law enforcement, medical research, crop substitution and preventive education on a broad front in the most critically affected areas of the world. A rew and potentially powerful weapon has thus been forged and added to the armaments now available to cope with this terrible world-wide scourge, which has been the cause of unbelievable suffering, degradation and death for countless human beings in all parts of the world.
After careful study of the two years' experience to date, the Secretary-General has decided on the following organizational structure and arrangements affecting the Division of Narcotic Drugs and the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control. These arrangements (set out graphically in the chart on page 6) are intended to ensure the most effective integration and co-ordination of the activities of the Division end the Fund, to guard against duplication and overlapping, and to set out clearly the respective areas of responsibility of each of these two important elements in the United Nations machinery for narcotics and drug abuse control.
First of all, the Fund. After a two-year "breaking-in" period, the Fund has now established itself as an important continuing instrument in the field of drug abuse control. It has attracted considerable financial support from a significant number of Member States which have voluntarily contributed a total of $4-5 million to date to its work. The Secretary-General has decided that the time has come to recognize the stage of development which the Fund has now reached through the creation of the post of Executive Director of the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control. The incumbent of this post, when appointed, will take over from the Personal Representative of the Secretary-General, Dr. Carl Schurmann, who has given outstanding leadership in the establishment and direction of the Fund's programme of activity during its formative years.
The Executive Director of the Fund will report directly to the Secretary-General. He will be entirely responsible for developing the programme of activities to be carried out under the auspices of the Fund; for deciding on those projects to be financed out of the resources of the Funds for assignment of responsibility for individual projects to the appropriate executing agency or agencies for following up the implementation of projects and evaluating the results obtained; and last, but not least important, for raising the sums of money required to carry out the programme of the Fund.
- 177 - All project proposals, whether originating from one of the specialized agencies, the Division of Narcotic Drugs, Governments or other sources, will be submitted in the first instance to the Executive Director. He will, in turn, after preliminary discussion, refer the project for technical evaluation and advice to the Director of the Division of Narcotic Drugs who, together with his staff, will serve as the principal source of professional and technical advice in narcotic matters to the Executive Director.
The Director of the Division, on receiving a proposed project for evaluation, will consult with the agency or other source putting forward the project as well as with other possible interested participants and will, after examining all aspects of the proposal, report to the Executive Director, giving his advice as to whether, from a technical and professional point of view, the project is sound and merits financial support from the Fund. He will also offer advice to the Executive Director as to the executing agency or agencies best equipped to carry out the project if approved. The final decision as to Bund support is, of course, in the hands of the Executive Director, who not only decides on the approval or non-approval of projects, and the amount of financial support to be provided, but also designates the executing agency or agencies to implement the project.
In addition to the advisory services provided through the Director of the Division of Narcotic Drugs, the Executive Director of the Fund will also have at his disposal the services of a small, highly competent secretariat to assist him in the administration and management of the Fund. This will include the evaluation of projects from the financial and organizational (as distinct from the technical and professional) standpoints. Decisions will have to be made as to the amount of financial support to be allocated to a project, the term for which support will be made available, the organizational arrangements with the designated executing agency or agencies with whom contracts will have to be negotiated, and so on. For all of these functions the Executive Director will rely on the support and expertise of the small core of highly competent officers, who will comprise his own immediate secretariat.
It will also be necessary, of course, to ensure the follow-up and monitoring of projects throughout the period of their implementation. This is a direct responsibility of the Fund administration and the Executive Director will need to have his own staff for this purpose. A special unit, to be established in the Executive Director's office, will be responsible for following up and reporting to him on the progress being made by the executing agencies responsible for the various projects, and for evaluating performance in individual cases. This process of follow-up and feed-back of results will be invaluable to the Executive Director in the decisions he will have to make as to future projects, and the auspices under which they should be undertaken. This "feed-back" process will also contribute greatly to the Executive Director's ability to evaluate performance, to identify weaknesses and strengths in the evaluation as well as the implementation process, and to determine future directions of policy.
The fact that many of the specialized agencies as well as the Division of Narcotic Drugs itself and INCB will be involved in the presentation and implementation of projects requires, in the view of the Secretary-General, the
- 178 - constitution of an inter-agency advisory committee to provide for the Executive Director of the Fund a channel for communication, consultation and advice on broad policy questions affecting the participating agencies as a whole. This advisory committee would in no way be intended to serve as an appeals tribunal on differences arising with respect to individual projects or agencies, but the Executive Director would be free to refer to the committee any matters on which he felt the need for further advice or policy guidance. Final decisions would of course rest with the Executive Director and the Executive Director alone.
The Secretary-General has considered the need for the Executive Director to establish regional representatives in a number of critical areas throughout the world, where the need to maintain direct contact with the development and implementation of projects is greatest and where it is important to maintain close contact with the governments whose interests are directly or indirectly involved. One or two such regional representative poets have already been authorized in the Division of Narcotic Drugs at the expense of the Fund. Since it is unlikely that the regular budget of the United Nations will be able to furnish the additional resources required to expand this service, the Secretary-General considers that, as the Fund's resources increase, the Executive Director should plan to establish regional representatives at a limited number of strategic locations throughout the world to maintain contacts with Governments of the region, to stimulate the preparation and presentation of projects, to oversee generally the conduct of programmes in the area, and to serve the combined needs of both the Fund and the Division. It will of course be necessary to ensure that there is effective co-ordination of the activities of the UNFDAC regional representative with the Resident Representative of UNDP in the same area. The Personal Representative of the Secretary-General, whose place will be taken by the Executive Director of the Fund, has also utilized the services of a panel of consultants, whose advice in the early stages of the Fund's development has been found invaluable. The Executive Director of the Fund will undoubtedly wish to utilize, in like manner, the services of consultants, either on a group or individual basis, to advise him on particular problems or whenever he feels the need of special counsel to supplement the advisory services provided lay his principal adviser, the Director of the Division. The costs of such consultant services as the Executive Director determines that he needs will be a charge on the resources of the Fund itself.
Division of Narcotic Drugs
The responsibilities of the Division of Narcotic Drugs and of the Director of the Division will continue as in the past, with a number of additional functions assigned to it. The Director of the Division will be responsible to the Director- General of the United Nations Office at Geneva and through him to the Secretary- General. The Division will continue to be the central repository of professional and technical expertise in the field of narcotics and drug abuse control in the United Nations and indeed in the entire world. It will continue, as in the past, to serve as the secretariat of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and to service all its meetings. It will continue to consult and collaborate closely with the secretariat of the International Narcotics Control Board on matters of mutual interest; and in addition it will work in close co-operation with the secretariat of the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control. Exchanges of information and experience between the two secretariats will be invaluable in assisting the Division of Narcotic Drugs to
- 179 - discharge more effectively its responsibilities in the field of project evaluation while at the same time enabling the secretariat of the Fund to function more effectively in the follow-up and monitoring of projects and in the evaluation of performance. The key role of the Director of the Division in relation to the Fund will be that of providing advisory services to the Executive Director in the technical and professional evaluation of projects submitted to the latter for financing. It should be made clear that this is an advisory function only, and that the final decision-making authority will continue to rest with the Executive Director of the Fund; nonetheless the importance of the Director's role in this connexion can hardly be over-emphasized; It will involve the examination and elaboration of individual projects in close consultation and co-operation with the agencies proposing the projects, with a view to ensuring that the project as presented to the Executive Director for approval, meets the tests of technical and professional adequacy and is consistent with the overall objectives which the United Nations, through its various legislative bodies, in particular the Commission on Narcotic Drugs has set for itself in the narcotic's and drug abuse control field Finally, in some instances, the Division on Narcotic Drugs itself may be designated by the Executive Director as the executing agency in respect of a specific project. In general, it is not considered appropriate that the Division should become heavily involved as executing agency for major projects in the field, but special circumstances may require this in individual cases. Where the Division is selected as the executing agency, either for field projects in exceptional cases, or for smaller projects, such as seminars, training programmes, etc., its role and function will be similar to that of other executing agencies, as outlined in preceding portions of this statement.
Conclusion
The foregoing guidelines for the Division and for the Fund are calculated, in the opinion of the Secretary-General, to provide a sound and constructive basis for collaboration between these two important elements in the campaign which the United Nations is waging in the field of narcotics and drug abuse control. The Secretary General considers that the organizational arrangements here proposed provide a practical basis for continuing collaboration. It is, however, his intention to keep these arrangements under continuing review and if experience over the next year or so indicates the desirability of altering these arrangements in any way, he will consider the need for such changes at the appropriate time. In this he will be guided to a large extent by the advice tendered to him by the experience of the Director of the Division of Narcotic Drugs and the Executive Director of the Fund, whose close and intimate collaboration is without question the essential prerequisite to the success of the entire United Nations efforts in the narcotics field.
- 180 - G.A. SECRETARY-GENERAL
DIRECTOR. ECOSOC GENERAL GENEVA
COMMISSION DIRECTOR EXECUTIVE UNFDAC NARCOTIC DIVISION DIRECTOR ADVISORY DRUGS • NARCOTIC DRUGS UHFDAC COMIITTED J
SPECIAL CONSULTANTS
Division OF UNFDAC NARCOTIC SECRETARIAT DRUGS
REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES
Administrative connexions Policy-making, co-operation advice, consultation
Division of Narcotic Drugs UNFDAC secretariat 1. Regular functions 1. Receipt end referral of project proposals. 2. Technical evaluation and advice to Director, UHFDAC, re project 2. Approval of projects. proposals. 3. Decisions as to executing agencies. 3. Consultation and co-operation with UNFDAC and INCB secretariats 4. Follow-up and monitoring of projects. 5. Evaluation of performance. 4. Executing agency for projects assigned. 6. Fund-raising.
- 131 -
ANNEX V LIST OP DOCUMENTS RELEVANT TO THE REPORT OF THE COMMISSION
Chapter Documents
I. Organizational and administrative matters Adoption of the agenda Provisional agenda: E/CN.7/545; list of documents; E/CN.7/545/Add.1 Timetable: E/CN.7/L.350
Adoption of the Commission's E/CN.7/L.352 and Add.1-26 report to the Council on its twenty-fifth session
II. Implementation of the narcotics treaties Report of the Division of E/CN.7/549 and Add. 1-3 and Add.3/Rev.1 Narcotic Drugs (Russian only) Work of international and Report of the Division of Narcotic non-governmental Drugs: E/CN.7/549 (chap. I). organisations Draft resolution submitted by France, Mexico and United Kingdom E/CN.7/L.354 Signatures, ratifications, Status of multilateral treaties" accessions end E/CN.7/549/Add.2 (E, F, S only) successions concerning the Draft resolution submitted by Sweden: multilateral treaties on E/CN.7/L.365 narcotic drugs and General Assembly resolution 3013 psychotropic substances (XXVII) of 18 December 1972: E/CN.7/549/Add.3 Draft resolution submitted by Argentina, Egypt, Prance, India, Jamaica, Mexico and Yugoslavia: E/CN 7/L.353 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961 (United Nations publication, Sales No.: 62.XI.I) Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971: E/CONF.58/6 and Corr.l & 2 (English), Corr.3 (Russian), Corr.4 (Spaniah) Final. Act and Protocol Amending the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961: E/CONF.63/9
- 183 - II. National laws and regulations Cumulative Index 1947- 1965 (count.) (United Nations publication, Sales No. 66.XX.4) and 1965/ Index. Add .1-6 Annual reports of Governments Summary of Anual Reports for 1970
List of national authorities Note by the Secretary-General: empovered to issue N. NA.1971 ; Add. 1 (tri-lingual) certificates for the import and export of narcotic drugs Manufacture of Narcotic Drugs Notes of the Secretary-General: E.NF.1969/Add.1(E, F, S only) Reports of the International Report of INCD on its work in 1971: narcotics Control Board and E/INCB/15 (United Nations administrative arrangements publication, Sales No. 72.XI.2); to ensure full technical ibid. 1972: E/INCB/17 Sales No.: independence of the Board 73.XL.71 Estimated World Requirements of Narcotic Drugs and Estimated World Production of Opium in 1972 E/INCB/14(United Nations publication, Sales No.: 72.XI.1) and Add.1-4, ibid. 1973: E/INCB/18 (Sales No.; 73.XI.2) Statistics on Narcotic Drugs for 1970 E/ INCB/15 (United Nations publication. Sales No.; 71.XI.6); ibid 1971: E/INCB/19 (Sales No.: 72.XI.8) Comparative Statement of Estimates and Statistics on Narcotic Drugs for 1970 E/INCB/16 (United Nations publication, Sales No.: 72.XI.3) Adminstrative arrangements to ensure full technical independence of the Board; E/CN. 7/551 and report of the Division of Narcotic Drugs; E/CN.7/549 (chap. II) Draft rerclution submitted by France, Federal Republic of Germany, Togo, Turkey, United Kingdom and United. States of America: E/CN.7/L.351
- 184 - II. Wok of the World Health Report of a WHOscientifi c Group on (cont.) Organisation in the field "The use of Cannabis" E/CN. 7/553 - of drug dependence Wld Klthi Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 1971. No. 478 Report of a. WHO Scienitific Group on "Opiates and their alternates for Pain and Cough Relief E/CM.7/553/Add.1 Wld Hlth Org. techn. Rep Ser., 1972, No. 495 Report of a WHC Study Group in 'Youth and Drugs - Wld Hlth Org. techn. Aep. Ser., 1973, No. 516 Preparations for the coming Note by the Secretary-General into force of the Convention E/CN. 7/547 and Add. 1 (draft form of on Psychotropic Substances annual reports). Add.2 (draft model of 1971 forms for notices, notifications and declarations), Add.3 (revision of Chap. X of annual reports), Add.4 (revision of Chap. XI of annual reports) Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 E/CONF 58/6 and Corr.1 . 2 (English), Corr.5 (Russian), Corr.4 (Spanish)
III. Scientific research Report of the Division of Narcotic Drugs: E/CN.7/549 and Add.1 (chap. III)
IV. Publications of the Division Bulletin on Narcotics: report of the of Narcotic Drugs Division of Narcotic Drugs, E/CN..7/549 and Add.1 (chap. IX), draft resolution submitted by Argentina. Egypt, Federal Republic of Germany, France and Yugoslavia E/CN.7/L.355 Information Letter: ibid. (chap. X) V. Technical cooperation in Report of the Division of Narcotic narcotics control Drugs: E/CN-7/549 and Add.1 (chap. (VIII) General Assembly resolution 5012 (XXVII) of 18 December 1972; E/CN.7/549/Add.3 VI. Operations undertaken, by the Report of the Division of Narcotic Division and financed by the Drugs: E/CN.7/549 (chap. XI) Fund Table of programmes approved and in operations MNAR/10/72 (E only) Table of proposed priority projects to be financed by the Fund: MNAR/11/72 (E only)
VII. United Nations Fund for Drug Note by the Secretary-General: Abuse Control E/CN.7/552 General Assembly resolution 30l4 (XXVII) of 18 December 1972; E/CN.7/549/Add.3
VIII. Illicit traffic Review of the illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances during 1970: E/CN.7/548. Information submitted by Governments in reports to both the United Nations and the International Criminal Police Organisation Trends in illicit traffic during the first six months of 1972: E/CN.7/548/Add.1. Survey prepared by ICPO/Interpol. Quantities of drugs reported by countries to have been seized in 1971: MNAB/1/1973 (English and French only) Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Illicit Traffic in the Near and Middle East: E/CN.7/550 Draft resolution submitted by Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Pakistan, Sweden and Turkey: E/CN.7/L.556 and Rev.1 Statement of financial implications by the Secretary-General: E/CN.7/L.36O Draft resolution submitted by Australia, Japan and Thailand: E/CN.7/L.357 Statement of financial implications by the Secretary-General: E/CN.7/L.361 Draft resolution submitted by Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru: E/CH.7/L.359 Chapter XI of annual reports for 1970: E/IT/1970/1-95 Chapter XI of annual reports for 1971 to date: E/IT/1971/50
- 186 - VIII. Illicit traffic Summaries of illicit transactions and (cont.) seizures: E/NS.1971/Summaries 1-4; E/NS.1972/Summaries 1-5
IX. Abuse of drugs (drug Drug abuse: E/CN.7/546 addiction) Draft resolution submitted by Australia, Canada, Egypt, Federal Republic of Germany, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, Sweden, Svitzerland, Togo, Turkey, United States of America and Yugoslavia: E/CN.7/L.364 and Rev.1
X. Programme of work and Report of the Division of Narcotic priorities Drugs: E/CN.7/549 (chap. XII) Draft resolution submitted by Chile, Egypt, India, Mexico, Morocco and Peru: E/CN.7/358 and Add.l Statement of financial implications by the Secretary-General: E/CN.7/L.362 Draft resolution submitted by France and the United States of Americas E/CN.7/L.363 Statement of financial implications by the Secretary-General E/CN.7/L.366
- 187 - March, 1973
SUMMARY OF THE REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ON NARCOTIC DRUGS ON ITS TWENTY-FIFTH SESSION
Chapter I; Organizational and administrative matters 1. The Commission on Narcotic Drugs met in Geneva for its twenty-fifth session from 22 January to 9 February, 1973; 30 plenary meetings were held. 2. The following thirty State nombers of the Commission were represented: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Egypt (Arab Republic of), France, Germany (Federal Republic of), Hungary, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Turkey, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Yugoslavia. 3. Observers were present from the following thirty-six States: Afghanistan, Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Burma, Chad, China (People's Republic of), Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Finland, Ghana, Greece, Holy See, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Kuwait, Laos, Malaysia Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Republic of Korea, Republic of Viet-nam, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Tunisia, Uruguay. (The countries which were unable to accept the Commission's invitation to send observers were: Colombia, Ecuador, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Tanzania, Venezuela). 4. The World Health Organization (WHO), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) were the specialized agencies who attended the session. The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) was represented at the session as was the International Arab Narcotics Bureau of the League of Arab States (LAS) and the Customs Co-operation Council (CCC). The Personal Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control also attended the session as well as representatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Social Defence Research Institute (UNSDRI) and the United Nations Division of Social Affairs. 5. The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO/Interpol), an international organization having a special agreement with the Economic and Social Council1/ attended the session.
1/ See resolution 1579 (L) MNAR/6/1973 GE.73-4055 - 2 -
6. The following non-governmental organizations in consultative status, category II, also attended: the International Conference of Catholic Charities (Caritas Internationalis), the International Council on Alcohol and Addictions, the International Federation of Women Lawyers and the World Young Women's Christian Association. The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, a non-governmental organization on the Roster, also attended. 7. The following officers were elected unanimously: Chairman, Mr. J.E. Ingersoll (United States of America); First Vice-Chairman, Mr. C. Kirca (Turkey); Second Vice-Chairman, Dr. B. Bölcs (Hungary); Rapporteur, Mr. F. Castro y Castro (Mexico). 6. The agenda, as adopted, is given in paragraph 14 of the report. Chapter II: Implementation of the international treaties and international control (a) Report of the Division of Narcotic Drugs 9. The Commission took note of the report of the Division of Narcotic Drugs for the period 1 July 1971 to 31 August 1972 and the addendum to this report covering the period 1 September to 15 December 1972. (b) Resolutions of the General Assembly 10. The Commission learned with satisfaction of the adoption by the General Assembly, on 20 December 1971, of resolution 2859 (XXVI) on youth and dependence-producing drugs, and, on 18 December 1972, of resolutions 5012 (XXVII), 3013 (XXVII) and 3014 (XXVII) on assistance in narcotics control, on international instruments relating to drug abuse control and on the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control. (c) Resolutions of the Council 11. The Commission noted with satisfaction the adoption by the Council at its fifty-second session, on 1 June 1972, of resolutions 1657, 1658, 1659, 1660, 1661, 1662, 1663, 1664 and 1665. (d) Work of international organizations and non-governmental organizations
12. The Commission was informed of: - the two ad hoc Inter-Agency Meetings on Narcotics Questions which were convoked by the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination, in order to consider the implementation of the United Nations Programme for Drug Abuse Control; - the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly of ICPO/Interpol, at its fortieth and forty-first sessions; - the first session of the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control (during which the problem of "Drug Abuse and Criminality" was discussed); - 3 -
- a meeting on Education in More Developed Countries to Prevent Drug Abuse, organized by UNESCO; - a Workshop on Country Studies on Drug Abuse and Controls, convoked by the United Nations Social Defence Research Institute; - a meeting of a United Nations Division of Social Affairs' Expert Group on Community Reactions to Drug Use by Young People; - the activity of the Customs Co-operation Council, the Council of Europe, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the League of Arab States. 13. The Commission noted that interest in the drug problem had increased considerably among other members of the United Nations family as well as other international and non-governmental organizations. While welcoming this increased interest and activity the Commission underlined the need for efficient co-ordination at the international level of all these efforts (see Chapter XII, resolution F). (e) Extension of control to new substances Propiram 14. The Commission was informed that its decision (taken at its twenty-fourth session) to add propiram to Schedule II of the 1961 Convention was transmitted by a note to all parties concerned. Drotebanol 15. The Commission decided to add drotebanol to Schedule I of the 1961 Convention. Diphenoxylate 16. The Commission amended paragraph 3 of Schedule IV of the 1961 Convention, with a text concerning preparations containing diphenoxylate. Nicodicodine 17. The Commission adopted the recommendation of WHO and decided to transfer nicodicodine from Schedule I to Schedule II of the 1961 Convention, and to add nicodicodine to paragraph 1 of the List of Preparations included in Schedule III of that Convention. 18. The Commission was informed of the World Health Organization' s decision to remove nicodicodine and its salts from the regime specified in article 1, paragraph 2, group I, sub-group (a) of the 1931 Convention and to place them under the regime specified in article 1, paragraph 2, group II of that Convention. (f) Multilateral treaties 19. The Commission reviewed the developments in this field since its twenty-fourth session; special attention was given to questions related to the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 and to the 1972 Protocol Amending the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961. -4-
20. The United Nations Conference to Consider Amendments to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, met in Geneva from 6 to 24 March 1972. Ninety-seven States were represented at the Conference by representatives and five by observers. The WHO, the INCB and the ICPO/Interpol were also represented. 21. The Conference elected Mr. K.B. Asante (Ghana) as President of the Conference, Mr. D. Nikolić (Yugoslavia) as First Vice-President and the representatives of 10 States as Vice-Presidents. It set up a General Committee, a Committee I and a Committee II, a Drafting Committee and a Credentials Committee. 22. As a result of its deliberations, as recorded in the summary records of the Plenary and Committees I and II, the Conference adopted and opened for signature the Protocol amending the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961. In addition, the Conference adopted three resolutions annexed to its Final Act. 23. The 1972 Protocol is deposited with the Secretary-General and was open for signature until 31 December 1972 by any party or signatory to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, and had been signed as of that date by 54 States. It is subject to ratification by States which have signed it and have ratified or acceded to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961. From 1 January 1973 it has been open for accession by any party to the 1961 Convention which has not signed this Protocol. The instruments of ratification or accession shall be deposited with the Secretary-General. The 1972 Protocol shall come into force on the thirtieth day following the date on which the fortieth instrument of ratification or accession is deposited with the Secretary-General. 24. The Commission noted with appreciation that from its twenty-fourth session until the beginning of its twenty-fifth session, the following States had ratified, accepted, acceded to or succeeded to the treaties as follows: 1972 Protocol; Australia, Finland, Panama, Sweden and the United States of America. 1971 Convention: Bulgaria, Chile, Egypt, Finland, Panama, Paraguay, South Africa, Sweden and Venezuela. 1961 Convention: Dominican Republic, Fiji, Greece, Iran, Luxembourg, Paraguay, Portugal, Saudi Arabia and South Africa. 1948 Protocol: Fiji. 1946 Protocol: Fiji. 1936 Convention: Chile. 1931 Convention: Fiji. 1925 Convention: Fiji. 1912 Convention: Fiji. - 5 -
25. This brings the total number of parties to the more recent treaties to 87 for the 1961 Convention, 9 for the 1971 Convention and 5 for the 1972 Protocol. 26. The Commission adopted two resolutions on the need for urgent ratification of or accession to the more recent international treaties. The text for action by the Council is found in resolution B (concerning the 1971 Convention) and resolution C (concerning the 1961 Convention and the 1972 Protocol) in Chapter XII of the report. (g) National laws and regulations 27. The Commission took note that during the period 1 July 1971 to 22 January 1973 eighty-one legislative texts were communicated to the Secretary-General by governments. 28. The Commission noted that the Secretariat had published the sixth addendum to the multipurpose cumulative index covering all texts of laws and regulations issued by the United Nations. (h) Annual reports of Governments 29. The Commission took note of the "Summary of Annual Reports of Governments Relating to Opium and Other Narcotic Drugs, 1970" which covers 130 annual reports for 1970, 5 reports for 1969 and 2 reports for 1968. (i) List of drugs under international control 30. In order to comply with the pertinent resolutions of the Council and the General Assembly on the limitation of documentation, the Commission reconsidered its earlier decision that an addendum to the list of substances under international control should be issued annually and that a complete list should be prepared jointly with the INCB secretariat every four years. To avoid duplication, the Commission decided to accept the "List of Narcotic Drugs under International Control" published annually by the INCB as a "single list", but underlined that the "Multilingual List of Narcotic Drugs under International Control" should continue to be published from time to time. (j) List of national authorities 31. The Commission took note of an addendum to the complete list of national authorities published by the Division of Narcotic Drugs. (k) Manufacture of Narcotic Drugs 32. The Commission took note of an addendum to the list of establishments authorized to manufacture narcotic drugs published by the Division of Narcotic Drugs. - 6 -
(1) Report of the INCB to the Council and Administrative Arrangements to Ensure the full Technical Independence of the INCB 33. The Commission was informed that since the Commission's twenty-fourth session the INCB had held three sessions. 34. The reports of the INCB for 1971 and 1972 were presented by Sir Harry Greenfield, President of the Board, who pointed out in his introductory speech, that whereas the report for 1971 had been presented to the Council, the report for 1972 had not reached the hands of governments but had been distributed to the delegations during the course of the present (twenty-fifth) session of the Commission. 35. The majority of the members of the Commission regretted that the procedure provided for in the 1961 Convention was not followed with regard to the Board's report for 1971, due to the Council's decision that the Functional Commissions should meet only biennially, and noted that the 1971 report of the Board had been already considered by the Council in May 1972. 36. The representatives and observers commented on the 1972 report of the Board, and all of them congratulated the Board for this excellent report. 37. The Commission took note of the report of the INCB for 1972, and in accordance with article 15, paragraph 1 of the 1961 Convention, the comments made by the Commission on this report are submitted, together with the report, to the Council. 38. In accordance with the provisions of the 1961 Convention, the Secretary-General, in 1966, had prepared administrative arrangements in consultation with the then Permanent Central Narcotics Board. By its resolution 1 (XXI), the Commission had recommended to the Council the adoption of these arrangements, as amended by the Commission. The Council had approved, with few modifications, the administrative arrangements for the Board by its resolution 1196 (XLII) of 16 May 1967. 39. Paragraph 20 of these administrative arrangements stated that they should be in force until 1 March 1974, and that proposals for a prolongation of the arrangements or the conclusion of new or revised arrangements should be submitted to the Council to take effect on 2 March 1974. 40. The Commission decided to recommend to the Council the adoption of a draft resolution recommending that the administrative arrangements contained in the annex to resolution 1196 (XLII) should continue in force until the Council decides otherwise. The text for action by the Council is found in resolution D in Chapter XII of the report. - 7 -
(m) Work of the World Health Organization in the field of dependence-producing drugs 41. The Commission was informed that the World Health Organization had substantially increased the extent of its activities in the field of drug dependence. 42. The Commission was informed of WHO research and training activities and conferences that had taken place since the previous session of the Commission. 43. The representative of WHO informed the Commission of the meeting of a Study Group on Youth and Drugs (in October 1971), of the meeting of the WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (in November 1972), of the Report of a Scientific Group on Opiates and their Alternates for Pain and Cough Relief (in October 1971) and of the meeting of a Scientific Group on the Use of Cannabis (in December 1971). 44. The WHO Committee on Drug Dependence had discussed the epidemiological approaches and methods that might be applied to studies of the magnitude and extent of drug-dependence problems, etiology and programme effectiveness. 45. A Scientific Group on Opiates and their Alternates for Pain and Cough Relief had been of the opinion that natural and semi-synthetic opiates may be considered not indispensable in the practice of modern medicine. Although available synthetic alternates were useful for pain and cough relief, none was free from adverse effects* 46. The Commission was of the opinion that codeine was essential for-medical purposes and that there were, as yet, no adequate synthetic alternates for codeine for pain and cough relief. It was felt that caution should be exercised in connexion with any large-scale substitution of synthetic substances for codeine. Further research was necessary before any final conclusions could be reached on this matter and the Commission hoped that WHO would continue its activities in this field. 47. The representative of WHO informed the Commission that his organization had been involved in three important activities related to cannabis - the convening of a scientific group on the use of cannabis, the support of a research study on the effects of cannabis smoke on lung tissue and the fostering of research on the effects on man of the long-term use of cannabis. 48. The Commission expressed its appreciation of the information provided by WHO and suggested that WHO should make periodic assessments of scientific knowledge on the use* and on the effects of cannabis. - 8 -
(n) Preparation for the coming into force of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 49. The Commission had decided at its twenty-fourth session that there should be a single form for annual reports submitted under both the narcotic treaties and the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971. Accordingly, the Secretariat submitted a draft single form of annual reports, and it presented, in accordance with the Commission's wishes for a revision of the existing Form of Annual Reports, revised and simplified forms of Chapter X (Abuse of Drugs) and Chapter XI (Illicit Traffic) of the annual reports. 50. The Commission decided that a new, revised and simplified version should be drafted by the Division of Narcotic Drugs, taking into account all particular comments made and guidelines given by the members of the Commission. Chapter III: Scientific research 51. The Commission expressed its appreciation of the substantial progress achieved in the scientific research programmes and of the work which had been accomplished by the United Nations Laboratory during the period under review. 52. International collaboration had been strengthened, first of all in the field of research on cannabis which co-ordinated, as required and in so far as possible, the research carried out in various countries. The Commission was informed about new developments and important results in this field. 53. Technical assistance, in the form of training, had been provided by the United Nations Laboratory and twenty-one fellowships had been received. There was general agreement that the training fellowships had been of considerable value for staff members of national laboratories concerned with the analysis of drugs of abuse. 54. The Commission learned that the Laboratory would intensify its investigations on tests for the identification of drugs of abuse. 55. It was felt that the Laboratory was making a significant contribution in the fight against illicit traffic by providing national laboratories with reference samples of drugs. 56. The Laboratory's extensive collection of scientific literature on narcotic drugs and psychotropic, substances, together with a system for the rapid retrieval of information, had continued to be of great value in the research and in the training of fellows. 57. The Commission was informed that a meeting of a working group of experts on Papaver bracteatum had been convened in Geneva in December 1972. The Working Group had considered recent developments in research on this species of poppy producing the baine which, by a chemical process, can be converted into codeine. - 9 -
Chapter IV: Publications of the Division of Narcotic Drugs (a) Bulletin on Narcotics 58. The Commission expressed its appreciation of the Bulletin and expressed surprise at the criticism voiced by a report of the Joint Inspection Unit. The Commission was invited by the Committee on Co-ordination of the Council to comment on these observations. The Commission pointed out that the journal had over the years acquired a firm position in national administrations as a working tool and was to be considered an organ of the Commission and other UN bodies working in the field. It concluded its consideration of the subject by adopting unanimously resolution 5 (XXV) (see Chapter XI) in support of this publication. (b) Information Letter 59. The Information Letter was sent to the members of the Commission, and to other recipients with responsibilities in the field of drug control or to those persons having a special professional interest in problems related to drug abuse. It was published in English, French and Spanish. 60. The majority of the members of the Commission noted that the Information Letter was extremely useful in providing information on aspects of drug abuse. Chapter V: Technical Co-operation 61. The Commission regretted that the sum allotted in 1972 for technical co-operation was reduced, as an economy measure, from US $100,000 to US $25,000. 62. In 1971 fifty-three training fellowships were awarded to officials from thirty-two governments; due to the reduction, the number of fellowships under the regular programme was only 12 in 1972. 63. A regional training and consultative mission to West Africa visited Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana and Nigeria in March 1971; a similar mission to four countries in South America was cancelled owing to the reduction in funds available. A staff member of the Division visited Singapore, Malaysia and Sri Lanka in June and July 1971 at the request of the Governments in order to advise them on arrangements for improved control of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. 64. A new General Narcotics Adviser took up his duties in Teheran in May 1971, and an adviser on rehabilitation was on mission in Iran. The outposting of an officer of the Division to Bangkok was continued throughout the period under review. 65. The film library of the Division now possesses 53 different films which are in constant demand for information and training purposes by governments and various organizations. - 10 -
Chapter VI; Operations undertaken by the Division and financed by the Fund for Drug Abuse Control 66. A consultative mission visited Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Yugoslavia in 1971 to study the situation regarding the illicit traffic in the area and to explore the possibilities of increased international co-operation. 67. A staff member of the Division visited Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines and Singapore in 1972, in order to consult the governments about their needs for technical assistance. 68. The Central Training Unit of the Division was established and started its first four-week course of training in April 1972. The course of the study included: (i) the problems created by drug addiction and drug abuse including illicit trafficking; (ii) international and national policies, procedures and organizations for the control of drug abuse; and (iii) investigative techniques for use by law enforcement officers. All participants were Police or Customs officers. The police of the canton of Geneva, the customs administration of the Swiss Confederation, the General Secretariat of ICPO/INTERPOL and the French National Police assisted the Central Training Unit in the training of the participants. Three further similar courses were held during 1972 in Geneva and Paris, and fifty-eight fellowships were given to participants. A special course was given in Teheran. 69. The Commission took note that the programme of operations had been framed in accordance with the Commission's resolution at its Second Special Session (1970). Planning had started in 1971, when a total of 160 projects estimated to cost approximately US $95 million had been brought together in the Plan for Concerted Action against Drug Abuse. At the request of the Fund, and in discussion with the specialized agencies and other organizations, a new and smaller list of projects was produced in 1972. 70. The list of projects both approved and presented to the Fund for approval are annexed to this Summary (Annexes I and II). 71. Twenty-eight projects were now approved and in operation, fifteen of which the Division was responsible for executing; a further seven would be started in 1973. 72. The Commission was informed of the country project in Thailand, and of the preparatory work for projects in Afghanistan, Burma and Lebanon. Chapter VII: United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control (UNFDAC) 73. (see "Activities of the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control"). - 11 -
Chapter Villi Illicit Traffic 74. The Commission considered a review of the illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances during 1970. This analysis had been prepared jointly by the Secretariat of the United Nations and that of ICPO/Interpol. ICPO/Interpol presented a survey on the trends in illicit traffic during the first six months of 1972, and the Secretariat prepared a table giving quantities of drugs reported by governments to have been seized in 1971. 75. The Commission regretted that the information placed before it in these documents was not up to date, owing to technical reasons beyond the control of the Secretariat. The Commission was, however, provided with up to date information by delegates and observers, and was particularly indebted to the representatives of ICPO/Interpol and the International Arab Narcotics Bureau of the League of Arab States for their reviews of developments and current trends in the illicit traffic. 76. As a result of its wide-ranging debate, the Commission concluded that the subject of illicit drug traffic remained of high interest. Traffic continued to spread: new drugs were abused, new trafficking routes and methods of carriage were utilized, new countries were involved. A few countries had no illicit traffic, others had to deal with well-entrenched systems, and many were facing increasing problems. It was no longer valid to classify traffickers as either members of a comparatively few well-organised gangs or numerous minor carriers working largely on their own. New types of persons were constantly entering the traffic while the ways in which drugs were moved were limited only by the imagination of the traffickers.
77. The former distinctions between producing and consuming countries had become blurred, since so many territories were now exploited for production, consumption and transit purposes, both "by their own nationals and by foreigners. Representatives were accordingly agreed that while national legislation and controls continued to be of essential importance, international co-operation of various kinds had to play an increasingly important role. 78. It was therefore vital, if the Commission was to carry out its responsibilities to the Economic and Social Council, for it to be provided with up to date and relevant information. Governments could help by themselves providing the United Nations with prompt and full reports, but further measures would have to be examined and adopted by the Commission itself. - 12 -
79. The Commission emphasized the advantages of international and regional co-operation, particularly among law enforcement authorities, and the need for this tendency to he encouraged, but pointed out the need for innovations to he compatible with existing systems of liaison and for activities within a region to be co-ordinated to avoid duplication and waste. 80. Bequests were made for the provision of more scientific and technical aids to assist the detection and investigation of drug offences, and for the dissemination of information regarding fresh developments of all kinds for the benefit of law enforcement and control officials. To this work the United Nations could contribute significantly. 81. The Commission discussed the report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Illicit Traffic in the Hear and Middle East which had been established by resolution 3 (XXIV) as endorsed by Council resolution 1660 (LII). It debated at length the recommendations of the Committee and paid particular attention to those concerning an investigation of the abuse of the TIR system of carnets by trucks smuggling drugs on international routes. 82. The Commission debated two draft resolutions proposing the establishment of a sub-commission on illicit traffic in the Near and Middle East. The draft resolutions asked the Commission to recommend to governments that they should be guided in their actions by the recommendations made in the report of the ad hoc Committee, and to establish a sub-commission, subject to the authorization of the Council. Resolution 6 (XXV) (see Chapter XI) was adopted by the Commission. The text for action by the Council is to be found in resolution E in Chapter XII of the report. 83. In order to strengthen regional co-operation the Commission established an ad hoc Committee for the Far East Region by its resolution 8 (XXV), the text of which appears in Chapter XI. The resolution requested the ad hoc Committee to consult with the countries concerned and to report to the Commission's next session concerning the most suitable means of realizing and promoting a more effective co-operation and mutual assistance in the suppression of illicit traffic within, from and into the Far East region. The first meeting of the ad hoc Committee was held in Geneva on 9 February 1973, as requested by the Commission's resolution. 84. The Commission was informed that a group of experts from South-American countries had met in Buenos Aires in November and December 1972 and formulated certain proposals which were to be considered at a meeting of Ministers in April, 1973. The desire for action and co-operation in the region, and to - 13 -
establish a link with the Commission, would then be given concrete form; at present, however, it was not possible to forecast what type of mechanism might be established and therefore what kind of relationship with the Commission might be proposed. Accordingly, the Commission adopted resolution 9 (XXV) (see Chapter XI) on Action in South America expressing the hope that after the establishment of a South-American regional mechanism to fight against illicit traffic and drug abuse, appropriate relations would be established between that regional mechanism and the Commission. Chapter IX: Abuse of Drugs (Drug Addiction) 85. The Commission considered a review of the situation of the abuse of narcotic drugs. The analysis presented in that review was based on information supplied by governments for 1970. 86. Several representatives pointed out that the review presented in this document contained outdated statistics which did not reflect the present situation. Although data from the annual reports of governments were poor and sometimes non-existent, it was nonetheless possible to discern certain trends in drug abuse in the various regions of the world. 87. Representatives and observers gave en account of the most recent developments concerning drug abuse in their countries, including information on the abuse of psychotropic and some other psychoactive substances. 88. The Commission noted that in various parts of the world there seemed to be a trend towards multiple drug use and dependence among abusers. This trend was due partly to the availability on the black market of different types of drugs, and partly to changes in the "trste" of the takers experimenting with a great variety of legal and illegal drugs. One of the main characteristics of young abusers was the consumption of various drugs at the same time. 89. The majority of the members of the Commission noted that no social class was exempt from drug abuse and that this phenomenon could not be attributed only to a single cultural group or to a given social situation. Drug abuse was neither strictly a youth phenomenon, nor could it be considered as a problem emanating from an illicit consumption of drugs alone. The excessive use of medically prescribed drugs was to be taken into consideration. Youngsters who had been drawn into drug-taking out of curiosity or fashion, without a syndrome of addiction, were to be differentiated from the true addicts. 90. The Commission was informed of various methods of treatment, and debated the question of methadone maintenance. -14-
91. Possibilities of improving the reporting system were discussed (see also Chapter IIn); the Commission was informed that the Division of Narcotic Drugs submitted to the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control a research project aiming at providing assistance to governments in the preparation of their reports on drug abuse. It was also informed of the research activities of the UN Social Defence Research Institute, and of the epidemiological studies proposed by WHO. 92. The Commission adopted resolution 10 (XXV) (see Chapter XI) inviting the World Health Organization to assist the Commission by preparing timely reports on the epidemiological patterns of drug abuse. Chapter X: Programme of Work and Priorities 93. The Commission noted the growing interest shown by a number of governmental, inter-governmental and international bodies in the fight against drug abuse; while the Commission felt that these efforts were encouraging and useful, the Commission expressed the view that there was a risk of duplication of work and adopted a draft resolution recommending to the Council the co-ordination of activities of international organs and organizations in the struggle against the abuse of drugs. The text for action by the Council is found in resolution F in Chapter XII of the report. 94. The Commission gave special attention to the question of the periodicity of its sessions; a number of delegations expressed the view that the Commission could not fulfil its mandate with a biennial cycle of sessions, and decided by resolution 11 (XXV) to include the subject of periodicity of sessions in the provisional agenda of its next session and to discuss it as a matter of high priority. Bearing in mind the necessity for the Commission to deal with urgent matters such as illicit traffic, drug abuse, the plan for concerted action against drug abuse, the operation of the Fund, consideration of the report of INCB and the measures to be taken for the entry into force of the 1971 Convention and the 1972 Protocol, the Commission recommended to the Council the adoption of a draft resolution on a special session of the Commission in 1974. The text for action by the Council is found in resolution G in Chapter XII of the report. 93. On 5 February, 1973 the Commission heard a statement made on behalf of the Secretary-General by the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva informing it of a new organizational pattern for the operation of the UN Fund for Drug Abuse Control. The Commission decided that it should comment on this statement and many representatives did so. Most members had felt concerned by - 15 -
the envisaged re-organization of the Fund. A number of representatives reserved their government's position; others expressed concern with the timing of the announcement and specific suggestions were offered for the improvement of the administration of the Fund. 96. Several representatives and observers noted the difficulties encountered in obtaining a sufficient supply of opium for medical purposes, and the Commission decided that the following item should be added with highest priority to the agenda of the next session of the Commission: Poppy cultivation under properly controlled conditions so as to meet the world requirements of opium for medical and scientific purposes. Chapter XI: Resolution's adopted by the Commission Resolution 5 (XXV): Bulletin on Narcotics The Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Having regard to the report of the Joint Inspection Unit on the programme of periodical publications of the United Nations, Considering the request of the Co-ordination Committee of the Economic and Social Council inviting the Commission to comment on the observation regarding the Bulletin on Narcotics, Recalling the resolution adopted by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs at its tenth session in which, inter alia, it requested the Economic and Social Council to invite the Secretary-General to take the necessary measures to maintain the publication of the Bulletin at four issues per year, Considering that the Bulletin, which is published in several languages, is unquestionably useful and even indispensable not only to government departments but also to medical and social experts on addiction to narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, Considering that, owing to the steadily increasing gravity of the problem of. drug abuse, it is essential that information which is as complete and as authoritative as possible should be published, Considering that it would be desirable to include new subjects, such as social sciences, in the Bulletin on Narcotics, Considering, in agreement with the report of the Joint Inspection Unit, that the Bulletin should receive more attention and support than is at present the case, Considering that virtually the entire cost of printing the Bulletin is covered by receipts from sales, 1. Confirms the importance that it attaches to the Bulletin on Narcotics; - 16 -
2. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure this publication the widest appropriate circulation and to consider ways and means of extending the range of subjects dealt with on the abuse of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. Resolution 6 (XXV): Establishment of a sub-commission on illicit traffic in the Near and Middle East The Commission on Narcotic Drugs Recognizing that, in order to be more effective, measures against drug abuse must be co-ordinated at the widest possible international level. Recalling that at its twenty-fourth session it established an Ad Hoc Committee on Illicit Traffic in the Near and Middle East to study questions related to illicit drug traffic in that region in order to promote more effective co-operation and mutual assistance in the suppression of illicit traffic within, from and into the region, Noting the valuable report and recommendations made by the Ad Hoc Committee 2/, Having regard to rule 66 of the Rules of Procedure of the Functional Commissions of the Economic and Social Council, 1. Endorses the recommendations of its Ad Hoc Committee on Illicit Traffic in the Near and Middle East (with the exception of the recommendation contained in paragraph 78, A (6) of the Ad Hoc Committee's report) and commends them to the Governments concerned with a view to their taking measures, which they consider appropriate, for their timely implementation; 2. Calls upon States, interested international organizations and agencies to render, where possible, necessary assistance to the concerned States for the implementation of the recommendations; 3. Establishes, subject to the authorization of the Economic and Social Council, a sub-commission on illicit traffic in the Near and Middle East consisting of one representative each of Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey and a representative of Sweden, to study the implementation of these recommendations, to propose for this purpose, if appropriate, supplementary recommendations to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and to formulate recommendations to the aforesaid Commission on other related matters as determined by the Sub-Commission itself or requested by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs;
2/ E/CN. 7/550 - 17 -
4. Invites the Governments concerned to participate in the Sub-Commission's work; 5. Authorizes the Sub-Commission to set up, in agreement with the Secretary-General, working groups to study particular operational questions and to make recommendations thereon, 6. Decides that meetings of the Sub-Commission and its working groups shall be held in Geneva or in the territory of the States of the region Members of the Sub-Commission, that the Sub-Commission shall meet once a year in Geneva, shall undertake, with the consent of the interested governments of the region, a study tour in the territories of the regional members every year, and that the terms of office of the members shall begin on the day of its establishment: 7. Invites the International Narcotics Control Board to participate in the work of the Sub-Commission; 8. Authorizes the chairman of the Sub-Commission to invite as observers the ICPO/Interpol, the International Road Transport Union, the International Arab Narcotics Bureau of the League of Arab States and other competent international organizations to participate in the Sub-Commission's work; 9. Requests the Secretary-General to make available such staff as he deems necessary to facilitate the work of the Sub-Commission and its working groups; 10. Requests the Sub-Commission to report to the Commission; Resolution 8 (XXV): Ad Hoc Committee for the Far-East Region The Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Aware that to be more effective, measures against drug abuse must be co-ordinated at the widest possible international level, Noting with satisfaction that discussions are already in progress within other regions looking toward the establishment of a regional mechanism on illicit traffic and drug abuse control, Considering the desirability of examining in liaison with the international organizations concerned, such as the International Narcotics Control Board and ICPO/Interpol, the usefulness of further regional co-operation in the Far-East to consider illicit traffic and related matters within, from and into that region and to formulate recommendations to the Commission, 1. Establishes an ad hoc committee of members of the Commission to consult with the countries concerned and to report to the Commission's next session concerning the most suitable means of realizing and promoting a more effective co-operation and mutual assistance in the suppression of illicit traffic within, from and into the Par-East region; - 18 -
2. Authorizes the Chairman of the Commission to undertake consultations and to make proposals to the Commission at its current session concerning the composition of the ad hoc committee; 3. Directs the ad hoc committee to meet during the present session of the Commission; 4. Requests the Secretary-General to approve a meeting of the ad hoc committee to take place between the present session of the Commission and the next: 5. Decides that the meetings of the ad hoc committee shall be held at Geneva and in the territory of the countries of the region represented on the ad hoc committee with the approval of the governments concerned. Resolution 9 (XXV): Action in South America The Commission on Narcotic Drugs, 1. Notes with satisfaction that talks have begun in South America with a view to the establishment of a regional mechanism to fight against illicit traffic and drug abuse; 2. Expresses the hope that, if created, appropriate relations will be established between that regional mechanism and the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. Resolution 10 (XXV): Drug Abuse The Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Considering that an expert review of information and the body of scientific research on drug abuse and the conclusions thereof will constitute a valuable working instrument which will help the Commission to carry out its responsibilities in this field more effectively, Bearing in mind that the World Health Organization is the competent specialized agency within the United Nations system to examine epidemiological aspects of drug abuse, 1. Invites the World Health Organization to assist the Commission by preparing timely reports on the epidemiological patterns of drug abuse in order to enable the Commission to develop a more comprehensive view of the drug abuse problem; 2. Requests the Secretary-General to make available periodically to the World Health Organization all information concerning drug abuse that he might have. - 19 -
Chapter XII; Draft Resolutions recommended by the Commission for Action by the Council
Report of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs The Economic and Social Council, Takes note of the report of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs on its twenty-fifth session. 3. Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971: Ratifications and Accessions The Economic and Social Council) Recalling its resolutions 1658 (LII), 1665 (LII) and General Assembly resolution 3013 (XXVII), and in particular operative paragraph (c) of this resolution, Convinced that action against illicit traffic and drug abuse (narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances) will be more effective when the control systeam on narcotics is supplemented by appropriate measures in the field of psychotropic substances, Recommends to Governments, which are not yet Parties to the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971, to ratify or accede to this Convention. C. Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961 and 1972 Protocol Amending the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961 : Ratifications and Accessions The Economic and Social Council, Recalling General Assembly resolution 3013 (XXVII) of 18 December 1972, in particular paragraphs (a) and (b) of the operative part of this resolution, Deeply concerned over the threat to human dignity and society posed by the continuous abuse of narcotic drugs Recognizing that the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961 provides the international legal framework for the fight against abuse of narcotic drugs, Recognizing in addition that the 1972 Protocol Amending the Single Convention 1961 is intended to strengthen that legal framework, Recommends to governments, which have not already done so: (a) to ratify the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, or to accede thereto, (b) to ratify the 1972 Protocol Amending the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, or to accede thereto. - 20 -
D. Keeping in force the administrative arrangements to ensure the full technical independence of the International Narcotics Control Board The Economic and Social Council, Bearing in mind article 9 (2) of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, which enjoins the Council in consultation with the International Narcotics Control Board (hereinafter referred to as the Board), to make all arrangements necessary to ensure the full technical independence of the Board in carrying out its functions, Recalling its resolution 1196 (XLII) of 16 May 1967 by which it approved administrative arrangements proposed by the Secretary-General in consultation with the Board to ensure the Board's full technical independence, such arrangements to remain in force until 1 March 1974, Taking into account that the Secretary-General and the Board have agreed that these arrangements should continue in force, and Noting also resolution I of the United Nations Conference to Consider-Amendments to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, which expresses the view that the arrangements now in force meet the wishes of the States Parties to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, and to earlier Conventions still in force and recommends that these procedures should be continued, 1. Decides that the administrative arrangements contained in the annex to its resolution 1196 (XLII) should continue in force until the Council decides otherwise in accordance with the procedure provided or in paragraph 20 of those arrangements; and 2. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to implement the arrangements, taking into account the character of the Board's functions and the importance of that organ's full technical independence in the performance of its responsibilities. E. Illicit Traffic (Establishment of a Sub-Commission on Illicit Traffic in the Near and Middle East) The Economic and Social Council Noting that the Commission on Narcotic Drugs decided at its twenty-fifth session to establish a sub-commission on illicit drug traffic and related matters in the Near and Middle Bast (resolution 6 (XXV)), - 21 -
Having regard to rule 66 of the Rules of Procedure of its Functional Commissions, Authorizes the establishment of the afore-mentioned sub-commission. F. Co-ordination of activities of international organs and organizations in the struggle against the abuse of drugs The Economic and Social Council, Recalling resolution 3014 (XXVII) adopted by the General Assembly on 18 December 1972, Considering that as a result, in particular, of the efforts of the United Nations, governments and public opinion are now generally interested in the struggle against the abuse of drugs (drug addiction), Considering that this social scourge is nevertheless continuing to grow and to spread to a larger number of countries, Considering that action by governments and international organs and organizations must be taken simultaneously on all fronts: prevention of abuse, repression of the illicit traffic, control of production, manufacture, distribution and consumption, development of training and education, scientific research, treatment and rehabilitation, Considering that such multidisciplinary action calls for a better co-ordination of all efforts in order to avoid duplication, wastage and overlapping that might impair the effectiveness of the struggle against this social scourge, Considering that it has not proved possible to achieve this co-ordination adequately during the past two years, as demonstrated by the increasing number of international meetings held on this subject, sometimes on the same dates, Having regard to the urgent need to improve the co-ordination of the measures taken on this subject, so that the knowledge and experience gained can be widely disseminated and utilized in the best interests of all, Requests that the Secretary-General should study this problem of co-ordination and attempt to solve it in the light of the considerations set out above and to report on the subject. G. Periodicity of sessions of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs The Economic and Social Council, Noting with concern the gravity of the drug problem in all its numerous manifestations, - 22 -
Bearing in mind the obligations imposed on the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the International Narcotics Control Board by the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, Bearing in mind also the fact that biennial sessions do not permit the Commission to fulfil certain of its responsibilities, Bearing in mind also the urgent matters referred to in the report of the Commission on its twenty-fifth session on "Programme of work and priorities.", Recalling its resolution 1156 (XLI), Review and Reappraisal of the Council's Role and Functions, which decided that the functional commissions should meet biennially, Decides that, pending further study by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the question of holding its regular sessions annually with a view to carrying out its functions and fulfilling its responsibilities more effectively, this Commission shall meet in 1974, if possible after February, in special session in addition to its session scheduled for 1975. NOW TO OBTAIN UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATIONES United Nations publications may be obtained from bookstores and distributors throughout the world. CONSULT yOUR bookstore or write to United Nations. Sales Section. New York
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